


Grimm

by CannibalisticPsychiatrist



Series: A Star Wars Faerie Tale [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Cannibalism, Drug Use, M/M, Slavery, abduction/kidnapping, forced transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-11
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-19 03:40:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/878991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannibalisticPsychiatrist/pseuds/CannibalisticPsychiatrist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Obi-Wan stared back at crystalline blue eyes with a note of curiosity, the dark-colored creature's head tilted to the side, urging the Padawan to follow. "Death waits if you stay," it seemed to say. "Follow me to safety." And Obi-Wan did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bird of Prey

**Author's Note:**

> Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig thanks to CitizenJess for being awesome by default and for beta-reading. So many plots, so little time. We had some exchange back in tumblr and ffnet about this and I wanna say how awesome she is for putting up with me and giving me a good stroke in the ego. :D

  
_"Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as ravens claws."_

_'A Feast of Friends' by The Doors (Jim Morrison)_

He was a youngling when he first saw a creature most curious and strange.

Obi-Wan was in the older parts of the temple, exploring away from his friends with interest for the ancient walls most of his crèche mates were forbidden to enter for the mean time until renovations were finished. The act of restoration and observing the work of droids restore the hall to its former glory was a source of curiosity for such young minds. As for Obi-Wan, his uncanny ability to sneak undetected served him a great purpose in giving in to the small indulgence, plans to include his friends were for later, when he finally ascertained a better time to intrude into the closed boundaries. Even at ten years old, Obi-Wan still managed to get past their watchers.

There were other reasons behind the curiosity of the younglings, of course. There were rumours that whoever entered the halls alone would hear various calls of animals, and a creature of some form would catch the attention of the intruder only to lead them back to the main hall with a strange sense of detachment and compulsion not to return to the dangerous zone. Therefore Obi-Wan took it upon himself to be that sole traveler to try and discern whether the stories of a creature dark and intelligent was to be found.

The stone was a faded grey, a large crack formed on the floor that separated the entrance of the hall to the main temple. The lights to the hall were dimmed, rays of illumination barely touched the aged floors, and dust moats floated in the recycled air.

The threshold the separated the temple and the hall was easily crossed, the tape that closed of the section was just on Obi-Wan's eyelevel so there was no hesitation in ducking down and beginning the journey.

The sight of the eldritch hall was shrouded in the contrasting light and shadows. Now that Obi-Wan stood where darkness touched, the hall became another world altogether, things that were unseen were now visible to his stormy eyes. Shredded carpeting overlaid with cracked tiles, peeling paint and once wondrous etched patterns were fading into obscure smoothness and weather, all these small details were now laid bare upon closer inspection. Hands calloused with training and forms laid over the ancient walls, wondering whether the stories etched in spaces would rise within his mind's eye. There was none, of course, but imagination was enough for the child to fill in the blanks.

The once pristine halls were the product of an explosion, the aftermath of a deserter's desire of vengeance against his master, yet a mightier adversary met each plot and scheme and had beat them all into submission. Perhaps the walls bespoke of the story of a master betrayed by his padawan, and upon their return, a bomb was planted in a scheme for self-preservation and self-gratification. This place was strange for a bomb for it needed prior explosions in different places to be truly effective in bringing the temple down to its foundations. Still, if the desired effect was to leech life and activity from this place – it had been very effective.

Nevertheless, it was not truly successful for there was a nest of animals that led stragglers away from this place, so it probably was not as lifeless as most seemed to assume – as Obi-Wan assumed.

_Rawrk._

It seemed that the creature he had been searching for perched atop a beam was once part of the hall's framework. It was a large aviary animal, with feathers dark as ink and a beak curved and wicked, eyes crystalline blue and bespoke of an awareness that was uncannily human in its intensity. It tilted its head to the side then to the other, his gaze very intent in meeting Obi-Wan's eyes.

"This doesn't seem like a proper place for you and your friends." Obi-Wan stepped closer until he was almost beneath the black bird. He wasn't exactly sure what sort of bird it was, but he was quite sure that he saw a description of the creature in one of holobooks in the archives. The general description that it was intelligent, but nothing else seemed to come into Obi-Wan's mind in regards to the animal.

_Rawrk._

The bird jumped down the ledge and flapped its wings frantically, landing atop the youngling's right shoulder, its curved talons held on gently enough not to pierce through the thin material. It was staring back at the redhead with a sense of unabashed curiosity yet there was underlying worry within its gaze. It wasn't as heavy as it looked and Obi-Wan was grateful for not having to accommodate a 2-feet tall bird with his shoulder.

A strange sort of entrancement came over him and the urge to teach its charcoal beak to assure his self further of the reality of the presence of the animal. With his left hand, Obi-Wan reached up to touch the wicked curve.

"Ow!" Red welled beneath the skin, pinpricks of pain burst from the pinched fingers. The avian rocked but it did not scamper away in flight, it nuzzled on the back of the youngling's neck in apology.

Temporarily appeased, Obi-Wan scowled at the creature with slight hurt. The bird rocked again and spread its wings, jumping down on the floor and looking up at the padawan with an intense stare. Its talons scratched at the desecrated floor in invitation. The redhead did not understand what it desired, so he continued to stare back at the bird with unabashed interest.

Obi-Wan had no idea how much time passed but there seemed to be a growing understanding for every imagined ticking of the clock. There was no compulsion yet there was a growing comprehension of the animal's intent.

"You want me to follow you?" he asked. The animal rocked and spread its wings again, taking into the air but not moving away from the youngling. A grin spread across Obi-Wan's face and he stepped closer to the bird. "Will you show me your friends?"

The avian blinked and Obi-Wan thought that its equivalent felt like a silent answer from a hesitant friend. Deciding that this could be another journey for another day, Obi-Wan followed the bird.

Strange, they took different turns from the ones Obi-Wan made and the halls he passed through earlier looked a tad bit different than Obi-Wan remembered. Many of the aged walls looked a little less abandoned and forgotten while some looked death had taken residence and kept a blanket of dreary desperation sinking deep within the walls.

Time was a strange concept within the empty halls that had breathing, footsteps, the flapping of wings, and the rocking of an avian echoing within the walls. Obi-Wan wasn't sure whether he arrived within the threshold in the blink of an eye or eternity passed by in their journey. Nevertheless, he was a little disappointed that the bird showed him out instead of sating his curiosity for adventure.

The bird didn't step through the shadows, opting to stand on the floor and stare intently at Obi-Wan, waiting for him to leave. Obi-Wan stared back in defiance, stubborn in his desire to continue exploration. The raven rocked impatiently and flew overhead, Obi-Wan followed its form and turned back to see where it had gone. It didn't leave, but it tried pecking at Obi-Wan's head which prompted the boy to duck and cover his face, running out of the hall and back to the temple with a surprised yelp.

"Hey!" There was a sharp burst of pain when he felt several locks of his hair tear off and tears sprung to his eyes unbidden. He glared at the bird from out of the shadows and huffed with childish indignation, but the avian was already flying out of sight and out of mind. Discouraged, Obi-Wan sighed, deciding that he should return with friends the next time.

Deep within the shadows, a pair of crystalline blue eyes followed the child as he disappeared.

* * *

_Stewjon was one of the strangest core planets he had ever seen. It was an amalgamation of ancient buildings with Lore etched within its stones and alien technology bought by fellow planets within the Inner Rim. Perhaps without the assuring surfaces of smooth duracrete and durasteel, Xanatos would have believed he was in another world altogether._

_They were strange people, Stewjonians, with modern science within their grasp yet tales of old wives and stories to scare children were still real within their hearts. The hospital, for example, all featured iron scissors atop cribs of children – to protect them from little men that took fancy, they said. There were homes built near running water, silver and golden decorations for protections, and offers of fruit and milk and honey outside homes as offerings in appease for the Fair Folk._

_Speaking of hospitals, his master was coordinating the transfer of custody of several children to the temple for training them into the ways of the Jedi and the Force. Master Jinn had noticed his lack of interest and let him off to explore. As for Master Jinn, he was speaking with parents of the children for their custody exchange. Strange, all of them had red hair, but that must have been some sort of idiosyncrasies on part of the people and their homeworld. For now, Xanatos had taken into exploring the surrounding forest._

_He was exploring in the lighter part of the forest, unsure if his comlink's signal could get past the dense trees if he would delve deeper. Ten minutes in, according to his datapad, and there has yet to be something interesting to be of note. There were only light woodland creatures, berry bushes, thickets of brambles, clusters of flowers, and mushroom patches within the vicinity._

_Deciding to be a little bolder, Xanatos followed a path that went in deeper but he made note not to stray too far so that he could return should his teacher call for him. His general direction had been southwest so he had taken note that going northeast later would lead him back to the clearing. Around five minutes in walking down the path, he came across a fork within the road. The brunette paused, taking note of the difference between the two roads._

_To his left was a dark road, with thick trees and towering branches and oppressive foliage; to his right the road had gentle sunlight filtering through the plants, with the sound of a stream passing by. The road to his right had a curving path, so it would have led him back where he came. Deciding that he was already deep within the forest enough, Xanatos simply took the alternate route, believing that it circled back to the entrance._

_His eyes widened in surprise when he came upon an enormous table, a red tablecloth covered it with food atop the crimson cover, and chairs of various materials surrounded with large spaces apart. Opposite the direction Xanatos was facing was a golden chair encrusted with jewels of various colors arranged in perfect symmetry. The chair golden chair was made with young twigs and leaves and wood held together with vines with saplings The chair next to it was made out of beautiful crystals similar to ice and gave off a cool air. Across the chair full of young plants and saplings was made out of redwood and leaves that ranged within crimson, golden, and brown in color—with the smell of warm sweetness and orange gourds floating from it. The chair next to it was a chair with various flowers in full bloom, with wells of water in its armrests and backrest stored in translucent plant embryo. Across the golden chair was a chair made out of antlers with various furs and hides of game animals strewn on top._

_Fruits and vegetables, hearty meals and mead, sweet juices and cocktails, fine wine and sweetbreads, honey and milk, thick soups and spiced meat, freshly caught fishes and roasted fowl—all of these were set on top of the table along with decorations of feathers, flowers, and ivory tusks. Plates, bowls, silverware and goblets made of gold, glasses made of crystals and napkins folded elegantly were set in front of each chair. The sight was mouth-watering and wondrous, a great source of curiosity to any passer by. There were strange scents that overpowered the food, and it reminded Xanatos of burnt sugar and fresh grass, pumpkins and maple syrup, chocolates and honeysuckle, watermelons and seawater, mint and pine, and fresh blood spilled on raw earth with a strange mix of well-oiled leather._

_How did this table setting came to be? Where were the participants of this feast? Why place all these in the_ middle of the forest _of all places?_

_It did not take thinking twice to note that everything were the finest quality and expensive. Still, that did not abate the padawan's curiosity. The object that caught the teen's attention above all the food presented were the apples placed on top of each plate—specifically, apples that looked more like golden decorations instead of food._

'There's no one here,' _Xanatos thought to himself, reason enough not to be hesitant._

_Stepping near the throne of antlers, he took the golden apple sitting on top, surprised that the golden sheen was an illusion and the fruit was organic. He glanced around his surroundings, fingers trailing over the skin of the apple. He could see his reflection on the golden skin, and the fruit looked entrancing. He wondered what the taste would be like, considering the exterior must be artificial in creation. With a hunger to sate his curiosity, Xanatos' teeth sunk on the soft surface, sweet juice seeped through its golden flesh and tested cool on his tongue and gums. The flesh was soft and tore easily, it was refreshing to his mind, body, and soul in ways the Force could never be. An urge to consume the apple completely overtook Xanatos and he ate the fruit with savory vigor. Even the core and pits were not spared and the teen was surprised that it was edible as a whole._

_With the fruit gone and the juices licked free from fingers and lips, Xanatos turned back in search of the exit._

_The brunette stumbled back in surprise. The path was gone—clusters of thorny brambles covered the way and his path to back track. That was fine though; there must be another path showed the way out. Blue eyes widened in surprise to see more thickets to be covering the exit._

_Xanatos took a step backward and glanced around in search of any space to pass through and leave—there were none at all. Bewildered, the padawan took out his comlink but almost dropped it when he turned it on only to have static screaming through the speakers. He took out his datapad next but static covered the screen._

_Feeling the beginnings of terror, Xanatos glanced for any way out and almost gasped in relief to see a path open up. Deciding not to question the possibility, blinded by a strange all-consuming terror to flee, the padawan ran towards the path._


	2. Winged Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obi-Wan takes his friends to the mystical hall. Four years before, Xanatos runs from the hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which I took blatant inspiration from Hannibal in regards to encephalitis – or – in which characters are experiencing lost time, sort of optical and auditory hallucinations, and disassociation.
> 
> That and I would like to thank the totally awesome CitizenJess just for the sake of being totally awesome, amazing, and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious *flies off in an umbrella*. The constant strokes to my ego (gigglesnort) are very much appreciated. This is totally for her and for every Obi/Xan lover out there (me included, of course)! :D

" _Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was who I am. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man."_

_by Zhuang Zhou_

The second trip was not as wondrous as the first.

Obi-Wan wasn't alone this time, with him were his friends. There were only two flashlights available so they had split into two groups for equal sharing of the items. Bant stuck to Obi-Wan and Reeft and Garen ventured away together.

The redhead was disappointed because he felt no odd compulsion to drive him away, the hidden mysteries that hung upon the decrepit walls were now gone, and the strange shadows that stood in spaces within the boundaries had gone missing as well. It didn't feel like entering another world like the first time, it felt more like exploring a land where everyone simply left and abandoned everything to rot. The unknown stories that sunk into the walls had gone missing as well, and any sign of a mystic animal wondering the halls were simply impressions etched in memory and rumors.

"I wonder if Garen and Reeft saw anything." Bant was holding the torch because she wanted to, but it was Obi-Wan that was leading the way. They were both fine with the arrangement, Obi-Wan has little to no difficulty navigating the dark halls.

Everything was alien yet familiar at the same time. He was traversing through a space he journeyed before except everything seemed upside down.

The older boy shrugged and inspected a pile of debris he guessed that he missed the first time he explored. "Well, they did say you have to be alone to see anything but I guess it could make an exception because we're younglings."

Bant held the torch closer and waved towards a hall opposite Obi-Wan, her silver eyes glittered in unabashed curiosity. "We're the first younglings around here. They might kick us out if they find us."

Obi-Wan shrugged and stepped away from the haphazard pile of earth with a bit of disappointment. They moved forwards, the light strangely unable to reach beyond three meters before giving way to darkness.

The unmistakable light from a torch came touched a wall in the western hall, but there were loud footsteps that marked the presence of two other people coming from the eastern hall. He turned back to see Bant headed for the east, eager to reunite their quartet.

"Come on Obi-Wan, I don't think the bird wants to meet us." Bant paused. "Maybe Garen and Reeft saw him."

"Yeah, I think so. Hey, I'm going to check something out here." He could see something move in the distance, and Obi-Wan was already walking towards it in open fascination.

"Check where? Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan there's—"

The redhead was already traversing the western hall, his hand touched the wall as he walked with small impressions of familiarity rising. The shadows were ebbing and weaving in the air as light shifted through them in strange motions. There was a dance of particles and wavelengths that changed how the world was perceived, there was a world within the world and the spaces between boundaries were now open again.

There were no rumors of second visits, came the memory unbidden. Obi-Wan was the first to find the strange pathways inlaid within the halls, perhaps another curious creature would be present as well or he could meet the bird – a raven, he found out when he listed off details to Master Nu in the archives—once more.

Then came a small insect, fluttering in the air, its visibility was due to its wings reflecting the pair of lights coming from the sharp turn to the left from another hall. He recognized it as a butterfly, but Obi-Wan could not pinpoint what sort of specie it was. It had narrow 'tails' and deep royal blue patterns on black wings, it shone in various shades of crystalline blue when light hit the patterns.

The youngling could already feel a grin forming, childish glee sang in excitement as he followed the beautiful creature. His footsteps echoed in the desolate halls, and Obi-Wan wondered why Bant wasn't following him. He was about to take a look behind if she or Garen or Reeft followed but he stopped in his tracks when he heard a pair of very unwelcome voices floating in the air.

Obi-Wan kept his back to the wall and stilled his breath, annoyed at having to encounter Bruck and Aalto of all the people. He could not hear the words exchanged but he recognized their voices well enough to know it was the infamous pair.b Fortunately, the butterfly did not continue towards the aggressive younglings and opted to perch itself on the tip of Obi-Wan's nose.

The light on the wall was growing larger, the edges clearer, the voices were becoming louder and the words exchanged gradually become coherent.

Not wanting a confrontation, Obi-Wan began to slink back to the direction he came from. He was a little grateful that the butterfly flew off his nose but he felt a small weight atop his hair. The redhead took one side-step at a time as Bruck and Aalto neared.

Obi-Wan inhaled sharply, his left hand touching a wall that wasn't present minutes earlier. He straightened and turned to the side, making a small sound in surprise to see that the hall now had a block that didn't seem unnatural except for the detail that Obi-Wan could remember that it wasn't there.

"—nothing here. Oafy-wan's probably stuck in the fresher or something."

" _Bruck_ , do we really have to see the end of the hall?" Obi-Wan turned to the opposite end to see Bruck and Aalto waving their torches around.

They couldn't see him.

Obi-Wan could see them, but they couldn't see him. They were facing towards his direction, but they were blind to his presence. That was oddly relieving and distressing, and as much as Obi-Wan wanted to reach out to the Force and see if there were any sort of illusions around the hall, he wouldn't risk detection from these two.

"Oh come on Bruck, what if a master finds us? Let's  _go."_

"Alright, alright, stop being such a cry baby." Then they were now leaving, still exchanging mean banter and made snide comments on how much of a loser Obi-Wan was.

Still, the youngling waited until he was sure they were gone before he left his hiding place, trying to make his footsteps as light as possible. The darkness was not as hindering as he thought it was, so he had a very good view on where he was going.

His footsteps were light as he traversed the path; the butterfly had left his hair and was now guiding him out. A sweet fragrance lingered in the air that reminded the youngling of caramel and poppies, and the scent reminded him of wet grass and tall trees strangely enough.

The halls twisted and turned and the floor would elevate very high up then slowly descend farther than the eye could see. Time was not as distorted as the first time, and it seemed that it was moving slower than Obi-Wan anticipated.

The insect turned to a hall, and Obi-Wan blinked when he thought he saw blue sparks igniting in the air. Shaking his head, he stepped nearer the sharp turn and blinked to see the cracked entrance.

Once more, the boundaries between the ancient halls and the main temple were marked by unnatural shadows and an ordained fracture on the floor. Dust particles floated lazily and then parted when the redhead passed through the line that separated the rotting walls and the lively temple.

" _Obi-Wan!"_  Said boy 'oomphed' in surprise when three pairs of arms were around him, the Force was singing with relief and joy as it purged fear and worry away.

"Can't… breathe…" There were apologetic murmuring and Bant, Reeft, and Garen stepped away with relieved smiles.

"Gone for eight hours, you have been young Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan glanced behind his friends to see the Grandmaster holding his gimmerstick with both hands. He looked up to see a very tall and lion-like knight behind the old troll. The redhead smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

He didn't notice so much time passed by. His body now deigned it proper to remind him by having his stomach growl loud with hunger. A light shade of pink colored his cheeks and his friends laughed in good humor.

"A trip to the kitchen would be best at this hour then," the really tall and bearded knight said.

Master Yoda then ushered them away from the decrepit halls.

Obi-Wan stole a glance back.

Was that a sharp-toothed smile?

* * *

 

_He could hear hooves stomping on earth in the distance; the barking of hounds echoed in the forest; the horn of the hunt still rang. They were getting closer, fear had long gripped his body, and soul, running had become his decision as mind-numbing horror flowed in his veins. Xanatos could not pinpoint the true origin, but the underlying sense of trespassing where he shouldn't had made him flee in fear of capture._

_Stories of the planet's kingdom of little people came into mind, and of their penchant of the cruel and unusual. His rational mind reasoned that these were simply tales to instill the fear of the forests in little children, yet another part of Xanatos was screaming at him to flee while he can. There was no reason to run, for the party may have been the natives that were just venturing back after the hunt, but the suspicion of the party being the_ other _kind of the natives had made padawan seeking sanctuary away from the strange table._

_The once sweet nectar of the golden apple left lingering aftertastes of ashes in his tongue. The luscious juice was acid in his throat and the honeyed flesh was stone in his stomach. Perhaps he should not have taken what did not belong to him. The strange sense of liminality came over him, that his discovery of the enchanted table was the beginning of this ritual and the beginning of a strange transformation fell once he gave into consuming the golden apple. He wondered what sort of drugs were used in its creation, whether it would leave him dreaming awake or in pain._

_There were shuffling around him just as well, and he could hear labored breathing and running nearby. The air of fear was thick, and the ominous stomps of equine creatures fuelled his terror._

_A flare of hope ignited when he saw light sifting through a line of trees, a sure sign that he was nearing the edge of the forest._

_There was no ache in his feet as he stumbled out of the borders and almost tripped on the soft grass. Xanatos quickly regained balance and resumed his retreat, but he managed a glance to see his pursuers or at least look at who was running along with him. Blue eyes widened in surprise to see men and women, human and alien, wearing various clothing both foreign and familiar – yet there was only one thing for sure, they were all outdated centuries -millennia even- apart._

_They all seemed stuck in eternal run, and deep sense of fear of running forever gripped his heart in icy claws. Yet he knew that whatever it was that was chasing him –them—could not possibly be worse than running along these people. Yet why was he afraid? They could all be simply wearing costumes and this was some sort of cruel joke._

_Xanatos chanced a glance behind and there was a startling moment of blankness that came over him._

_Huh, new humanoid species?_

_They bore similarities to human men, but there were things in places they shouldn't be._

_That moment of blankness was soon over and Xanatos had resumed running along with these strange people left over various eras in time. There was still a great distance between him and the hunting party, but Xanatos would be better assured if there was no visibility at all._

_An arrow flew overhead and he could hear a deep voice laughing in glee. There were shouts in a musical language that almost made him pause to listen, but the promise of death served as a reminder to continue running. Another line of trees greeted the padawan's vision and he almost sighed in relief._

_There was the sound of branches and twigs snapping beneath feet and then there was total silence. The hunting party seemed miles away – there were no hooves on earth, barking of dogs, and gleeful laughter –just pure silence._

_There was a sudden sense of tiredness that overcame his limbs, so he chanced to look up to see how high the sun was. Blue eyes widened in surprise to see the skies bursting with stars and darkness, with a crescent moon grinning mockingly. Xanatos fished out his datapad and his brows furrowed in disbelief._

_The screen was mostly frozen, but the clock on display was working. Rather, the clock was ticking erratically. It would tick longer than a few seconds and then it would speed it up in sudden bursts. He frowned, not very reliable then._

" _Anotha' lad? Don'cha listen to you' ma and pa not to go to strange places?" A man with thick red beard was sitting in a tree stump that wasn't present moments earlier. He was wearing an outfit better found in ancient texts and storybooks and held a large pipe with thick smoke of narcotics floating up from it, but there was an assurance that he was wholly human, if not, most human than his strange pursuers._

_Xanatos frowned. "I haven't met my parents for years."_

_The red-haired man shrugged and blew smoke from his lips. "Sit down wontcha."_

_The apprentice frowned before giving the stranger a wry smile. "I'd rather stand."_

" _Suit yo'self." There was a furtive silence between them, with just the sound of the red-haired man smacking his lips against the pipe and Xanatos' breathing. The padawan was tapping his feet on the earth with growing impatience, his mind was far too erratic with a thousand thoughts to sink into the calming waves of the Force._

" _What's going on here?" Xanatos finally bit out, unable to take the eternity of silence. "I was just walking around and then I'm being chased – who were those people?"_

_The stranger gave him a piercing look. "Ya sure you we'e just walkin 'round? No one woulda chased ya if you didn't take sum'thin."_

_Xanatos rolled his eyes. "Alright, I ate an apple." The stranger stared at him silently. "It was a golden apple, I wanted to see if it was genuine, and there were plenty of other food in the table anyways."_

_The redhead snorted and took a deep and long inhale from his pipe. "Lad, you ate Iðunn's apples – there'd be consequences."_

_Blue eyes widened in alarm. "What consequences?"_

" _Fo' one, you don't getcha go old—" Xanatos was about to cut off the man, but the older male held a hand up. "Would'ave been fine if you got it from the tree or from Iðunn he'self, but it was on a table fo the huntsmen. Eat fae food and ya'll theirs fo'ever. No wonde' you're 'ere. Tell me, what'ch you're name?"_

" _It's—"_

" _Don't answe' that, don'cha eve' give you' name to anyone, idjit. They already got'cha, don' give 'em another thing to hold on."_

_Xanatos scoffed. "I'd doubt. This is obviously some sort of elaborate prank or game I stumbled into; I believe it would be best to return to my master and leave this madness behind."_

_Still, the brunet remained still, his feet maybe tapping on the earth impatiently but he was far from eager from leaving what he mentally dubbed to be a sanctuary._

_The redhead snorted. "Well, what's the day anyways?"_

" _It's—"_

" _What does it say on your machine?"_

" _It's malfunctioning, but if you would want to know, the date is set a month after I ate the apple."_

_There was a strange stillness after that, with the stranger not deigning the teen with any sort of suitable answer. A growing sense of unease was in the pit of Xanatos' stomach for every minute that passed as he looked at the erratic ticking of time on his datapad._

_Perhaps he was taking more than minutes as he stared on the machinery. He shoved it back inside his pocket when three more days passed by. He crossed his arms and huffed loudly, cold dread continued to flow within his veins._

_Without any warning, the stranger stood up, walking deeper into the woods. Firm in his decision to show that all was an illusion, Xanatos remained still and refused to leave. He wouldn't give in to this madness, this foolishness. He's a Jedi apprentice, he won't give in to his fear, he won't let it rule his good senses and blind his decisions, he will get out of this damned forest and reunite with Master Qui-Gon, this was all just a bad—_

— _he was now a few steps behind the stranger, a sudden sense of self-awareness and awakening came over him and Xanatos glanced around frantically in confusion and bewilderment. He didn't remember following the man._

" _What the—"_

" _Which chair didja get the apple from?"_

_A strange calm settled over, but Xanatos knew it was before the storm. His voice was light when he replied, but he could feel hysteria coloring it. "The one with the antlers and game."_

" _Not sure if luck is on your side when you took King Oberon's apple, you shoulda gotten King Aster's instead, woulda saved ya plenty of trouble. You ain't the first person to take food from the table tho, and you ain't gunna be the last."_

" _Un-silly?" Xanatos couldn't stop the amused snort that came next. "Couldn't they take a joke then?"_

" _Laugh now lad, you wouldn't be laughin when he gets his hands on ya', or when he doesn't. I betcha you've seen someof the other game—"_

"— _game?"_

"— _some of the people that got roped into this hunt. Lucky you'd get out and centuries hadn't passed yet. Them? Their people are long gone and dead." Xanatos' mouth clamped shut and he continued to follow the older man (for some strange reason or so) deeper into the forest._

" _Will I ever get out?" The brunet asked next, his voice still and small. "Time passes different here, right? But I'm sure there wasn't anyone that haven't managed to escape yet, I'm have something to keep me grounded on time, right?"_

" _I'd give ya this, dontcha forget your name, but dontcha give it to anyone either. That'd be the only thing you'd be owning when you're runnin or when they finally getcha."_

" _But will I ever escape?"_

_The man paused and turned to him and—_

— _and now he was running, he could hear dogs barking, the sound of a hunter's horn in the distance, hooves stomping on earth and joyous laughter. There were leaves and twigs stuck in his hair and mud covered his boots and clothing, and the stranger he met earlier (minutes, hours, days?) was long gone. Xanatos could feel his panic and the need to see where he was rising, but he shook them all off and focused on running away from the hunting party._

_The man must have said something useful, but all he could remember that he must hold on to the only thing that could still tell time and his name. The urge to check the time now was strong, and he was unable to fight off the compulsion to take out his datapad and see._

_Xanatos sucked a panic breath to find that two weeks passed by._

_Wait, what if it was all an illusion? Maybe his datapad was really just malfunctioning and he was drugged and all of this was simply a strange game. He was a Jedi for Force's sake!_

_Trying to steel himself, Xanatos urged himself to stop. It took all of his will power to shut out every compulsion to run. He stopped by a tree and held on to the trunk with a clenched fist. He took shuddering breaths and laid his back over the wood. He could hear his heart beating like a fluttering bird behind his ribs and the fear grew, but Xanatos recited the mantra that led to the dark side in sharp whispers, in hopes to ground him into reality. The urge to recite his own name to ground himself of who he was was there, but Xanatos could feel it deep within his core that it would be his downfall._

_Pain exploded in his right shoulder and his trembling mantra turned into quick gasps of pain. There was an arrow protruding over his shoulder and blood was seeping through his tunic. He could feel the arrowhead stuck to the tree. Xanatos tried to still his quick shuddering breaths by taking longer and deeper inhales, and then he took a heaving breath and pulled himself away from the tree. He grunted a little and grabbed the weapon with his left hand, ready to pull it out._

_He could feel the flesh around the wound beginning to reknit and close. He tried to stifle his breathing but decided to screw it and forced the arrow out. Blood sprayed in large arcs due to his increased heartbeat, and then Xanatos dropped the arrow in shock and horror, hyperventilating – there were cords of flesh twined around the head. He grasped his wound with his left hand and wasn't sure if he should be alright with feeling some of his skin still torn open by the forced exit of the weapon._

_Then the next thing the padawan knew, he was lying face down on the earth, with loud barking around his ears and a heavy weight pressing down on him painfully. Lingering vertigo bled out and the brunet looked up to see a strange man looking down on him with a serene smile. It would have been a calming sight if not for the sight of the bow and quiver strapped on his back, and the way he looked at the arrow Xanatos managed to remove with a look that reminded the teen of someone wondering what it would taste like._

_His skin dark as onyx; his white hair was pulled back in an elaborate style with braids behind his ears and a crown of feathers above his hairline. His eyes were large and golden, a strange warm glow surrounded him, his ears were long and sharp, and his nails were golden claws with elegant green paint. He wore a golden tunic held tight with a silver sash and he wore a silver vest on top of his clothing, with a side-arm cloak clasped on his left shoulder, his quiver was gold and hand-carved with elaborate carvings and precious stones soldered on it._

" _Good day to you, lad, you have been a very greedy little thing." Xanatos blinked, a feeling dazed all of the sudden._

" _What the-?"_

" _Such apples are rare to come by, and you took mine, be glad that we have more than the needed amount." Walking next to the first man was another just as strange and alien. Neither was in any of the races Xanatos had interacted with in all his life._

_The second man had branch-like antlers growing from his head, with a circlet of thorns adorning his hair His expression was of stern determination, his hair was a short and a deep wine-red, slicked back –his eyes were narrowed black orbs, and his scars of battles and fires marred his exposed skin. He held a dark sword, with clear crystals adorning the hilt and blade and with ancient text etched on the metal. He wore an ensemble of leathers, furs and silken sashes along with dark vambraces, pauldrons, and a thin armor suitable for hunting. The man rode a dark horse with an inky mane, it carried pelts of hide and leather and fur._

_Xanatos cried out when he felt sharp claws dig into his hair, scratching into his scalp mercilessly. The weight above him disappeared, yet he hung suspended by an unnaturally strong hand that belonged to the second man. He bit his cheek to calm down and winced, but he looked at the man holding him and glared._

" _Are you King Oberon? You don't look very kingly to me, far too barbaric and uncivilized."_

_The first man seemed bemused, but the second was far from it. "Methinks this mortal fancies himself bearing a tongue of spitfire and wit, perhaps ten years in your court as a slug may have him learn a thing or two."_

" _That is not how things are done in my court Gwynn, had the years dulled your memory?" The teen winced when Oberon dumped him on the ground unceremoniously. He was about to scramble up to stand, but he slowed his movements when the dogs surrounding him growled warningly. "I would have this insolent ripped to shred with my brother's hounds, however I fear he would simply multiply for he cannot die."_

" _I yield, I yield. Though, if you wish to spice up a punishment, I'm sure Skadi's son would be more than glad to provide." Gwynn held his hands in mock-surrender. "I believe the boy is what one would call a 'Jidai' of sorts, connected to a collective power yet nosier than they are allowed to be."_

_There was that hysteria creeping from the edges of his senses. They were talking about his punishment as if they were discussing the weather while partially acknowledging his existence. Their morbid banter went on for a few minutes and Xanatos decided that cracking right now would worsen the situation._

_That didn't stop Xanatos from insulting both men a second time though. "Please, I have been through worse than you could imagine, whatever you would impose on me would just be a walk in the park."_

_Both men stopped and regarded him with frighteningly intense gazes. "Jidai are nosy, you say? I wonder if I could make use of that nosiness then."_

_Xanatos' world exploded to pain._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand done! :D I enjoyed writing this but I had various different scenarios on how the 'hunt' was supposed to go, but introducing the other four court rulers would take too much…character space? I guess, BUT! Yeah. There was supposed to be this scene too of Xan sitting down along with the other 'games' of the hunt and exchanging info then finding out that some would technically end up in a different world because millions of years passed from their time and there would be this conversation about running is better and dying on your own terms instead of turning into a faerie.
> 
> Since Xan refused to believe that it was real and he might be dreaming, he hesitated and got caught. On varying views, one can argue that running for years without realizing time passed but never being really sure on the 'how' to escape is worse than turning into fae.
> 
> We'll see…. :D


	3. A Companion Most Loyal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obi-Wan finds a new friend and Xanatos experiences one of the many cruelties of Fae firsthand.

_A Companion Most Loyal_

" _Deep in the village of Darkling_  
Where the Squires and their Ladies rule,  
No-one comes out in the eventime  
unless they're a brazen fool,  
The Hunt is rallied for after dark,  
and they wear the hood and the cowl,  
Roam far and wide through the countryside  
while the ravening hounds just howl.

_They say that they're hunting foxes,_  
But I know, that just isn't true,  
That blood they seek at the end of the week,  
They may be looking for you,  
They take their cues from the Magistrate  
Who leads the Hunt through the grounds,  
His word is law, and he sets the score,  
They call him the Master of Hounds."

_"A Master of Hounds" by David Lewis Paget_

It was saber training when Obi-Wan's life changed forever.

Master Drallig was teaching them forms with training sabers, going through kata after kata with varying levels of playfulness and cheerfulness. The dojo had several knights and master-apprentice pairs training and sparring together.

They were going over the third form before Master Drallig decided it was time for a break and led them to the courtyards to play. Obi-Wan already waved Garen and Reeft over and they sat beneath a large tree, enjoying the shade of the leaves.

"You never told us what you saw in the hall. Did you fall asleep? You've been gone for hours Obi-Wan," Reeft asked between bites from a filched snack from the kitchens. Garen shuffled closer to Obi-Wan and relaxed against the tree.

Obi-Wan raised his legs to his chest and laid his head between his knees. He hummed thoughtfully, going over his fantastical experience and surreal yet solitary adventure. "I got separated from Bant and I saw a black and blue butterfly. I followed it then I saw Bruck and Aalto sneaking around. I thought that maybe I was dreaming."

"The one about Bruck and Aalto was true; Master Yoda found those two leaving the place." Obi-Wan glanced to Garen who was playing with a blade of grass with a pinched expression, as if the small plant was a puzzle he couldn't solve. There was something funny about the near crossing of the other's eyes.

"Good thing I didn't get in trouble then, I mean, the halls were forbidden." He wondered about that since the last night. He mulled over why he wasn't disciplined or at least whacked with Master Yoda's gimer stick.

"You've been missing for hours, the council actually had a lot of Knights and Masters look for you inside the temple and outside. Thought that someone infiltrated the temple and kidnapped you."

"But how did—"

"Who would want to kidnap Oafy-Wan? He'd probably crash the ship with how heavy he is." Obi-Wan felt the beginning of a scowl and he looked up in search of his long-time rival. Walking towards them with that nasty smile on his face and a voice louder than a bantha's wail, Bruck came strutting with his number one crony, Aalto.

Both tried to annoy Obi-Wan with just their expressions, though their mere existence was more than enough to cause irritation to the redhead in mention. The Obi-Wan took note of the small rock in the Bruck's hand, wondering when the two of them will start coming to blows.

Garen and Reeft stood up faster than Obi-Wan did; ready to defend once it became necessary. "I never pegged you as stupid Bruck, charging with just one behind you while we're three?"

Bruck was ready to give out his own retort but a surprised shriek came out instead.

An enormous canine was now on top of Bruck, growling threateningly. Its eyes were bright blue and its coat was jet black with dark blue highlights; its mouth was pulled into a feral snarl, its white teeth were sharp and gleamed with an unholy light. Its claws were extended and were on top Bruck, but it wasn't even piercing through cloth.

There was only stunned silence for seemingly an eternity, but once the shock settled in, everything turned into organized chaos. The Force screamed in danger and suddenness, and then Knights brought out their sabers and Masters held out their hands to pull the wolf off the youngling.

Before the animal could even receive any sort of attack or be pulled away via telekinesis, it pushed itself off Bruck and then moved closer to Obi-Wan, sitting on its haunches with a lazy expression and leaned closer to the Obi-Wan contentedly. The canine easily reached Obi-Wan's waist, it could take a sniff off the boy's chest if it pointed its muzzle up. It yawned loudly in display of its sudden change of attitude, yet subtly showing how large its fangs were in warning. Everyone stood in tense silence, with no desire to make any sudden movements and cause the wolf to display any more signs of aggression. Now that everything and everyone was frozen in their places, one closer look at the creature and it was now apparent that it was less a wolf and more of a hybrid of its domesticated relative – the dog. The Force hummed in relief as it tuned in with the sudden calm after the chaos.

Obi-Wan blinked at the sudden loss of the wolf dog's feral behavior. Everyone could only look at the animal in bewilderment of its sudden docile behavior. The wolf dog snorted and then stood over Obi-Wan playfully, licking the boy's face in display of affection.

Obi-Wan laughed at tickling sensation of a large wet tongue. The wolf dog took that as an invitation to play and pounced on Obi-Wan, nuzzling and nipping him fondly.

The jarring change of mood seemed to ease the tension that sparked in the courtyard; the younglings (sans Bruck and Aalto) were approaching the animal in open curiosity, but the older Jedi kept a guarded wariness about them, ready to strike the creature down once needed.

"Hey! Hey! Stop it—"The wolf dog barked happily and moved to the Obi-Wan's side, nudging the boy with his nose to stand up. Obi-Wan took Garen and Reeft's offered hands and pulled himself up. "Thanks."

From the door to the temple, and Master Windu came walking along with a team of healers. Master Windu ushered Bruck away to the healers, with Aalto trailing behind with a wide-eyed expression, while Master Yoda was now delegating present Knights with what to do next.

"Step away from the dog, you must Obi-Wan." The youngling in question gave the troll a confused glance, wondering why the animal that defended him from his long time rival was quickly deemed as dangerous. Alright, the sudden snarl and pounce was terrifying, but it seemed nice enough – to Obi-Wan at the very least.

"But, he doesn't seem that bad Master Yoda." The canine made a whining sound in agreement, nuzzling Obi-Wan's waist. The boy put his hand on top of its head almost instinctively, scratching behind its ears to show comfort. The wolf panted happily at the pressure behind his ears, lolling its tongue out and closing its eyes.

"Master Yoda, I believe younglings have a particular liking towards large and furry animals." Obi-Wan looked up to see the same Knight the other night – whom they found out to be Master Qui-Gon Jinn— speak up. His hands were folded inside his robe, and he seemed to be taking the situation completely in stride.

The canine snorted, but he let Obi-Wan continue scratching behind his ears. Master Yoda was frowning, but he seemed to let Obi-Wan in close contact with the canine. There seemed to be no warning or apprehensiveness from the Force at the moment, but the council would have to decide what to do with a possibly feral and uncontrollable animal within the temple. The troll turned to the Master Jinn and began conversing in low tones, walking a few meters away to avoid eavesdroppers. Knights and Padawans were now leading the other younglings away, but Obi-Wan and his friends were left behind in the courtyard.

Obi-Wan could feel a strange energy humming in the yard, the smell of burnt caramel and fresh dew on grass was in the air, and the light dancing in the garden was twice saturated. The light in the wolf's eyes seemed far more human than it seemed, and they gleamed with calculating intelligence, but there was a hint of familiarity behind its eyes, as if Obi-Wan already met this strange creature more than once. A thought came unbidden in his mind, strange yet logical.

' _What if this was all of the creatures I met in the halls?'_ He looked down on the dog, who was gazing at him with alarming awareness, waiting. The boy was about to open his mouth to ask, but Garen's voice shook him out of his strange stupor.

"Um, Obi-Wan, are you okay?" Garen's voice sounded confused and worried, Obi-Wan turned to his friend questioningly.

The colors in his world faded dully, the heated sweetness in the air was now the fresh scent of the trees in the temple courtyard, and the dog still had his eyes closed in enjoyment of Obi-Wan's scratching. The energy in the air was strangely absent, and there was only the Force.

"Is there something wrong?" Garen's face was pinched in confusion but he quickly shook his head.

"I thought you looked pale for a second there." If Obi-Wan had Garen elaborate- the Obi-Wan did not look pale, rather he was visibly fading into transparency. Garen looked towards Reeft who had an identical expression. If they blinked, would Obi-Wan suddenly disappear?

"I'm fine." Obi-Wan frowned.

"Nah, maybe the dog had rabies or something," Reeft pointed out with a teasing grin.

The dog in question snorted indignantly and nuzzled Obi-Wan more. The Obi-Wan laughed at the playful affection. Then the realization of having to go to the healing bay made him pale, they would need to check if he contacted any sort of saliva or other fluids and then give him a vaccine to be sure.

"That sucks." Master Yoda and Master Jinn were now approaching them once more, along with Master Kit Fisto who was pulling an animal container with him. Obi-Wan stepped in front of the dog protectively.

"Master Yoda, but—"

"Dangerous he can be, assure the safety of other first we must." Obi-Wan looked at Master Yoda with pleading eyes.

"But—"

"Jedi needs no possession, he has to go Obi-Wan," Master Jinn spoke next, his voice flat and strict. Master Fisto kept a neutral expression, waiting for the boy to step away from the enormous canine. The wolf whined in protest. Master Jinn's expression softened to appease the boy. "He will be taken somewhere safe, that's a promise."

Garen and Reeft kept quiet, giving the wolf concerned and wary looks.

"Fine he will be, a promise it is." Obi-Wan was biting his lip, weighing his options. Knowing that disobedience may mean punishment – expulsion even – he conceded to the requests of the Grand Master, stepping to the side to let Master Fisto take the dog away. He looked at his new friend with growing sadness, disappointed and forlorn that they may never meet again.

The dark creature whined, licking Obi-Wan's hand to comfort. The Obi-Wan appreciated the gesture and he stroked the dog's nose in reply. Without warning, the wolf bit him.

"Ow!" The teeth were gone as quick as they came, with some of his skin punctured through sharp fangs and blood dripping down the bite wound. Before Master Fisto pulled the dog away, it was licking Obi-Wan's wound in quick apology.

The masters were swift in prying the animal away from the child; it whined sadly and let itself be led away. Garen and Reeft rushed towards Obi-Wan in worry, pulling his hand to inspect the wound. Master Yoda motioned for Obi-Wan's friends to move away and inspected the wound itself.

"It's healing." The blood stopped bleeding and the flesh and tissue quickly knitted itself. Soon enough, not even a scar was left behind. Yet there was a sudden tiredness in Obi-Wan's limbs, and the desire to sleep was strong. Whatever the dog did, it seemed to have taken a lot of energy away from him.

"Have it checked once more we must." There were voices muffled in the distance, the energies in the air fought for dominance, the smell of burnt sugar and the Coruscant air tried to overpower one another, and the world was dancing in saturation and desaturation. Obi-Wan was about to reply but his world dimmed to darkness.

When Obi-Wan woke at last, it was quiet and cold, and Obi-Wan could feel the familiar cotton sheets in the healer's bay above his arms. He groaned and tried to sit up, frowning when he felt like he was encased in lead. He tried opening his eyes, but they felt heavy as well. His tongue felt too big and it felt like cotton was stuffed inside his cheeks.

He made his fingers and toes twitch one by one, and then sighed loudly. Obi-Wan knew that the heaviness about him was from something else. Slowly, he tried opening his eyes and was thankful for the dim lighting in the med bay. He blinked to see the dog caged earlier sitting on top of him, settled comfortably above his torso.

"What are you doing here?" The wolf's ears perked up and looked then barked happily, shifting to lick his face before lying back down right above Obi-Wan's stomach, waiting to have his ears scratched. Obi-Wan happily complied and gave the canine a comforting rub behind the neck; he received another playful lick as a reward. "Glad to see you too."

"He always found a way back to you." Obi-Wan blinked and looked up to see Master Jinn sitting down in one of the sleep couches with three familiar younglings around his lap. The man looked stiff with probably hours of letting Garen, Bant, and Reeft sleep on his large form, but Master Jinn seemed to have taken it in stride. "Even if we already put him inside a cargo ship, he would find his way right here by your side."

"So… I'm allowed to keep him?" The Obi-Wan asked quietly, with hope swelling in his voice.

"The council rarely allows it, but yes. It seems that the dog has formed a bond with you, how it happened, we're not sure." Master Jinn looked like he really want to shift, but he kept as still as possible while talking. It must have been very late at night if he didn't want to wake up Obi-Wan's friends. "When you passed out, I believe it was the formation of the bond. The mental strain must have been too much for you."

Obi-Wan blinked, "must have?" There were no headaches before and after he passed out, so it must have been something else. However, what held true was the connection Master Jinn mentioned.

"That was an educated guess, but you can share what you do know."

The dog made a low whine and nuzzled Obi-Wan's face—Obi-Wan hadn't realized he stopped his ministrations until the enormous canine reminded him. "Well, looks like you're stuck with me now then."

The dog barked in agreement, but it didn't seem to wake up Obi-Wan's friends. The youngling giggled at that then he smiled fondly at his friends. "They must have been up all night if him barking can't wake 'em up."

Master Jinn chuckled in agreement and then cleared his throat. "On the subject of your dog, we tested him to see if he has any sort of disease you should be aware of. He's just fine; perhaps someone had been taking care of him before he decided to attach himself to you."

"That's sweet, um…" Auburn brows scrunched in deep thought. If Obi-Wan was going to take care of this dog, he should at least name him. He couldn't think of anything creative in the moment, so he continued scratching the dog's ears, and then he almost let out a muffled yell when he felt a heavy paw rub against his cheek. "What the—what's in your paw?"

There was fine dust around it, but it smelled sweet and it reminded Obi-Wan of incense. The dog was oddly quiet, crystalline blue eyes staring back at blue-grey eyes with sharp focus. It reminded Obi-Wan of the raven and the butterfly. The niggling sense of familiarity grew stronger and a word waited to roll out of his tongue. The dog tilted his head, waiting for him to speak once more. It kept gazing at Obi-Wan with the same yet uncanny human intelligence, as if to remind Obi-Wan of a missing detail. Once he had assured himself that he was gazing upon the same creature that accompanied him in his adventures, he knew that whatever this bond was that formed between them – it was for life.

"Ash."

"Excuse me?"

"His name, it's Ash."

* * *

_Skin shifted and muscles shrieked in protests, organs were rearranging themselves and his skeleton changed shape and moved. He could hear cracks and fractures forming in his bones despite the ringing in his ears. His mouth was open in a silent scream and he could feel his own teeth elongating into something sharp and wicked. Burning agony raced inside his veins and there were dark spots dancing in his unseeing eyes. There was fur growing across his skin and his hair changed texture and shortened. Time was meaningless within the forest, and yet it felt as if he was going through an eternity of pain. Everything was on fire, from the tips of his changing toes to the top of his head._

_Something deep and primal – feral even—awakened and war drums pounded inside his skull. The lust for blood, the call of the wild, the song of the trees and the earth fought dominance yet played together in chaotic harmony. The grace of a hunter, the glory of the hunt, the power to stalk and lure prey was at his fingertips and the desire to sink his teeth between flesh and blood was a siren's call. His memories and identity seemed unimportant in this moment, the forced transformation shrouding his mind in a haze of pain and lust for the chase._

_Perhaps it was a mere ten seconds, or perhaps it was eternity, but when the he came to be, he was no longer who he was. Rather, he was not_ what _he was earlier. He could feel a fundamental part of his sense of self chipped away by the change, but a deep rational part of him held on to his humanity and gripped it tight vice. A sense of new identity rang in his ears, trying to overpower on what he clung to dearly._

_He was Xanatos Demetrio, apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn and Jedi – he was a hound of the Dark King, a faerie and slave._

_A great sense of fear overcame Xanatos, and he knew in that moment that the very second he had taken Iðunn apple and consumed it whole, he lost vestiges of his physical humanity. This transformation bought upon him by Oberon was simply confirmation and introduction of new form._

_The hounds around him were all sitting down, looking upon him with curiosity. The alpha of the pack regarded him as one would regard a pup; the beta stepped forward and sniffed him._

_He tried to swat the offending muzzle away._

_Xanatos' mind screamed in despair to see a black paw hit the larger dog's snout and he felt his own ears perk up at the surprised whine the beta made. In mounting panic, he touched his face and tried to stand up to see what else changed. His ears were now longer and wider and flapped down on the side of his head, his jaw now elongated to a muzzle, short dark-brown fur covered every inch of his body, and looking up to the other hounds in the pack – Xanatos knew that he was a great deal smaller than them all._

_He shouted at in indignation, in fear – but it increased when all he heard was a keening wail that was far from human and closer to animal._

" _He'll lose his mind in no time in that form." He looked up at Gwynn who regarded him with amused interest. Incensed, he growled at the humanoid. Xanatos tried not to wince when he heard how low and threating it sounded to his ears, practically absent of his own humanity._

" _It is a test, if he manages to turn back to human, perhaps he may keep a scrap of it." Oh Force, how was Qui-Gon ever going to recognize him? The man must have been searching for him for_ months _; he needed to get out soon._

_Xanatos growled, wincing a little, and pounced towards Oberon. Still unused to his new form, he barely managed to reach the King and ended up crashing on a nearby omega of the pack. The alpha rushed in front of him defensively and growled, and Xanatos felt a well of fear rise._

' _Do not dare harm your master, pup.' Had he had the ability to drop his jaw, the Padawan would have._

' _He's not my master!' His own voice was deep and guttural, in accommodation of this new form. Xanatos wished desperately this was all a dream, but this strange new world despite its surreal reality was the contrary. He yelped in surprise when he felt something wound around his neck tightly, pulling him away from the snarling alpha._

" _That's enough Cerberus; accompany Gwynn while I take care of your new pack mate." The pack obeyed the Antlered King and stalked towards the Seelie King. Meanwhile, Oberon was already pulling the recently transformed Padawan away._

" _I will answer to no injury Oberon!" Gwynn shouted in mock-seriousness and grabbed a horn strapped to his horse's pouch, blowing it before riding off with the pack of hounds into the distance._

'Wait; didn't he say something about turning back to human?' With _that revelation in mind, Xanatos tried his hardest to force his body to change back to its original form._

_He recalled soft and pale skin, with developing muscles as a result of his training, short hair styled in the traditional Padawan braid, high cheekbones and delicate facial features that came as a mix from his parents, his impressive height yet lanky build that belonged to a teenager. He imagined his bone structure reshaping and his flesh accommodating, his fur falling apart, and his being shifting._

_Then he was kneeling on the soft earth, panting in pain and exhaustion at the second transformation. A strange ache settled in Xanatos' bones and there was a sore stiffness around his muscles. He barely noted that his clothes were missing._

" _Hm, impressive for a recently turned." Xanatos looked up and glared at Oberon. He could feel rope winding up his arms and binding them together, more rope around his ankles but far enough from one another to let him walk. Strangely enough, there was no wind but he appreciated it all the same. He was already naked, but he wouldn't let this indignity make him embarrassed or cower away from the immortal king._

" _Fuck off." The Unseelie King gave him a thoughtful stare._

" _You are a very strange creature. Tell me; what is your name?" The warning from the stranger in the woods came into mind and Xanatos froze, gaze darting around the forest in search of inspiration. The man had to be trusted. Hadn't the stranger told him that his capture would be horrible? Xanatos wished he heeded the man's warning, he would have found a way out by now if he did. However, mourning for his temporary lapse of judgment would do nothing, so Xanatos would have to adapt and find a way out of this mess on his own._

_Perhaps the first step would be to accept that he was on his own and Master Jinn wouldn't be there to help him get out of this one any time soon. He needed a plan, but he needed to know how this strange world worked. If the folklores and poems of the Stewjonians were to be trusted, then he would have to mentally catalogue all he knew and try to find a loophole or clue that will make his escape. For now, he needed to provide Oberon with a name._

_Nothing seemed to take hold and he knew that if he did not answer soon, Oberon might find a way to force it out._

'I'm dead,' _he thought, and the image of the traditional Jedi burial came into mind. A burst of inspiration overcame him and he had to school his expression to keep his lie authentic._

" _Ash, my name is Ash."_

_The Unseelie King gave him a once-over and Xanatos stared back in defiance, daring the ancient king to question him. The Fae seemed satisfied with his answer and tugged on the rope around the teen's neck. Xanatos didn't let his guard down however, if the legends were to be trusted (and perhaps they do), he wasn't the first to provide a fake name and he won't be the last. Oberon, if he was as old as the legends say, knew this but simply didn't call him out on it._

_Since there was temporary safety in this situation, Xanatos tried gathering what he knew from reading in the planet's library in the long hours he was bored._

_Oberon was king of the Dark Fae – the aos sí, but the only thing he knew about them was that they lived underground and they were very cruel and merciless. The other Fae earlier – Gwynn ap Nudd, if he wasn't mistaken – was King of the Light Fae, the Twyleth Teg, and they were generally described as… good? –yet they were also cruel and unusual. Xanatos tried not to imagine how light creatures could show how cruel and unusual they could be. If Gwynn caught him, would he be a slug or something worse?_

_There were four other kingdoms, but he wondered why there were mentions of many, many more other kingdoms other than the six popular ones. The stranger made mention of an Aster, and Xanatos could barely recall that the king had something to do with spring and had red hair._

_He was brought out of his musings by a particularly harsh jerk from Oberon, and he found himself glaring at the king._

" _Other than serving as a hound for my pack, I would have you as a servant in my home. If you are nosy enough, perhaps lost things would be found once more, if you manage however, to switch between your human and hound form." Oberon turned to a path descending downwards, Xanatos could feel apprehension rise as the slope became steeper._

" _I am guessing that you came from the distant stars where the spaces between distort between metallic creations of man and golem. Had you belonged in these lands or perhaps in the lands that were once Ours, you would have known not to touch what did not belong," Oberon chided him, as if he were a naughty child stealing cookies from a jar. Perhaps the expression wasn't too far off and the cookie could easily be replaced by apple and the jar with table._

" _Forgive me for being ignorant your_ highness, _hard not to do what I want when you're all nothing more than stories about little people to lull children to sleep." The teen's tone was as acidic as possible; it did not seem to faze Oberon._

" _There is always truth shrouded within, do not dismiss simple stories as creations of fancy. There will always be a fact concealed beneath pretty words and beautiful voices."_

_Xanatos did not try to dignify the Fae with an answer, opting to try and continue mentally cataloging what he knew._

_Goblins had a separate kingdom and their own king but they were not part of any courts even if many were considered Unseelie. That and almost all the Fae have a habit of kidnapping people they fancy. Other than that, nothing seemed to come in mind._

_Wait, didn't he knew something about their weaknesses? He remembered musing something or two about things kept in cribs, but his memory was failed him. Something metal and something water to keep the Fae away, but he couldn't recall._

_A strange dread settled along with a seed of fear._

_He could partly remember lines about kidnapped humans losing themselves in the faery realms, and Xanatos wondered if the memory loss was starting, or it already began. Hadn't the stranger said about his name being the only thing he could possess?_

_What if he lost that too?_

_Numbly, Xanatos let Oberon lead him inside a tall cave, barely aware of sharp rocks beneath his bare feet. A thousand thoughts ran inside his head, fuelled with fear of losing his sense of identity and perception. He needed to find the source of this loss first before he formulated a plan to escape. He needed to stabilize himself before making any moves._

_Xanatos could only pray that it won't take centuries for him to formulate an escape._

_Oberon dismounted his horse and tugged on his rope a little forcefully when Xanatos didn't follow immediately._

_Perhaps there was that old niggling sense of worry about what to do with centuries, but he needed an anchor first before taking a step forward._

_Oberon led the newly made immortal through twisting stone hallways decorated with precious metal and stones. The sharp rocks beneath his feet were now soft moss, with grass and flowers mixed between the spaces. Moss and plant-covered stalagmites and stalactites met in shy caress of sharp fingers, water dripped from above the bedrock, and the sound of voices of different tones and ranges conversing echoed in the walls. The stones seemed to be emitting a strange light, but they were rather dim and kept the cave in various colors in comforting tones. There was glowing dust floating in the air and the shadows cast upon the wall danced almost as if they were alive._

_The teen vaguely noted that the palace-home-castle-whatever was beautiful; he turned to look at Oberon and blinked disbelievingly. Oberon was strangely graceful even with all those pelts and very heavy-looking antlers. There was an odd air of elegance and lack of weight in every step, as if Oberon was walking on air instead of earth._

_Xanatos was led to a tunnel covered with strings of moss and crystals threaded with flowers, stems, and vines._

_The tunnel was a room, apparently. It was lightly furnished with a small bed but plenty of pillows. There was a wardrobe open and Xanatos could see tunics and other clothing garments that seemed to be in his size. He noted with great disturbance of the collection of dog collars displayed proudly in a shelf, and his disappointment was near palpable when he noted that there were no shoes at all present. His unease increased when he turned back to the bed to see a basket fit for a dog beneath the frame. The dresser next to it had all of its drawers open, along with the cabinet, but they were all empty. There was a trunk with its lid wide open but a key was inside the storage. There was a shelf pushed to the wall opposite to the bed, but it was unsurprisingly empty just as well. There was an open door leading towards a bathing area, complete with a tub, sink, water closet and a sink carved from the cave's stone. There was a stand made from the same materials that contained bathing oils, salts, milk and soap. There were deep blue towels hanging in a rack near the tub and a robe draped over a stone shower curtain._

_Xanatos turned to Oberon who made his bindings disappear with a wave of a hand._

" _This will be your home until I tire of you or until you move stations. You may purchase personal needs in the Goblin market above the earth." Oberon managed to produce a small pouch that jingled with ancient coins and it floated and then settled down on top of the dresser. "I find you interesting, Ash. I have allowed you human form because I am curious about what you will do, on what you_ can _do. It is rare for us to claim Jidai like yourself."_

_Xanatos turned towards Oberon with an alarmed expression. So the banter between Gwynn and Oberon was partly rehearsed? Had they been planning on his capture the moment he stepped on planet?_

_He did not linger on this disturbance when a piece of paper and a pack containing ink and brushes was placed in his arms, a book came next. "Ward your room if you wish to. There is no proper door, but you may create a semblance of privacy in wards."_

" _I… thank you," Xanatos found himself saying, bewildered by the King's sudden act of kindness. Was this the same man that forced to turn him into a dog (hours, minutes, days?) ago? Still, even if King of Darkness' face did not change expression, it was uncanny to see him perform an act of kindness._

" _Fare you well, Ash."_

_Xanatos blinked when Oberon turned back and blinding light surrounded his form. The boy had to raise his arms over his eyes with just how bright the Faerie King glowed, and Xanatos waited for a few more seconds before lowering his arms after the light deemed away. Oberon was gone, returning to his place in the Wild Hunt._

_The boy took a deep breath and approached his bathroom to take a nice and long, warm bath. He hoped he managed to calculate at least four hours of bathing until he felt truly clean, the violation of his transformation washed away by the soap and water._

_Xanatos fancied to think that he stood in front of his wardrobe for at least an hour before settling into a dark tunic with blue linings, leggings that reached mid-calf, and a sky-blue sash to tie the lose shirt with._

_He blinked in surprise to see his old clothing, ripped and shredded into pieces, on top of his bed. Thankfully, his saber was still whole, along with his datapad and comlink._

_Apprehension and dread flowed as ice in his veins and settled as lead in his stomach. Xanatos stepped towards his personal belongings, his possessions that served as evidence of a past life as a mortal human being, with trepidation._

_With a trembling hand, he took his datapad and turned it on._

_Half a year had already passed by._


	4. The Curious Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obi-Wan stumbles into a new world, Ash/Xanatos changes into another form, and Xanatos finally meets this infamous King Aster and their meeting ends into something horrible.

_The Curious Hunter_

"' _I'm mad. You're mad,' said the cat. 'We're all mad here.'"_  


" _Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Caroll_  


Not everyone was excited about Ash.

In fact, many of Obi-Wan's fellow younglings gave him a wide berth and he would have been very lonely if his friends hadn't been there. There was a kennel set up in one of the many storage bays in the temple for Ash, but the dog's residence was only temporary. If a Knight took Obi-Wan as an apprentice, Ash would be moving with them. If Obi-Wan was to be shipped off to Agri-Corps… Ash would have to follow as well.

Those were thoughts for another day, for as long as Obi-Wan remained far from the age of thirteen, he wouldn't have to worry much about becoming someone's Padawan.

Ash showed obvious signs of sentience and near-human intelligence. Among other things, the wolf dog didn't roll around the carpets in the halls, try to steal boots, chew up clothes from the wash, or trail after Obi-Wan and Master Jinn (whenever the man was around) like the lost puppy he was. It would have been easy to see that Ash could be just as smart as a sentient being, smarter than most even.

Speaking of trailing after people, Obi-Wan's friends found a new appreciation for Ash; the enormous dog was a big warning sign for Bruck not to approach wherever Obi-Wan went. They were very reluctant at first, but since Ash got Bruck out of their hair…

Reeft was looking mournfully now at the piece of meat Obi-Wan was letting Ash eat out of his hand. The dog's rough tongue was ticklish, and Obi-Wan was suppressing giggles as the canine ate. Garen was staring at Ash and he was holding a fork with a piece of bantha strip speared on it; he looked ready to fling it to see if the wolf dog would do something interesting to catch it.

"It can do tricks, right? I mean, if it follows you everywhere and sort of understands us, then it can do a trick, right?"

"Master Yoda said Ash is Force-sensitive too." Bant was scratching the back of Ash's ears and the dog obviously appreciated the petting. "Maybe it will do a trick if you say it in the Force, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan frowned, contemplating. He hesitated, it didn't feel… _right._ Ash didn't seem like a show animal, and for some reason, it may hurt Ash's feelings, in a way, if Obi-Wan was to make him perform. The dog nuzzled his hand, panting happily. Hesitantly, he stroked the back of his companion's head as he thought about what his friends had said. Ash then barked happily, his tail wagging in the air.

Their bond was strange, to say the least. Obi-Wan did not receive any sort of complex emotions from Ash at all, or perhaps nothing happened yet that gave formation to feelings other than hunger, satisfaction, protectiveness, playfulness, or excitement. Obi-Wan hadn't been feeling any sort of mental nudges either; Ash could completely understand a lot of mental intent that came from Obi-Wan, too, so it was not very surprising that the dog had been displaying deeper understanding ever since he had appeared.

"No tricks, give me your meat Garen. I need meat, or I will eat your hand." Reeft was inching towards Garen's fork with his gaze hungry for meat.

"Here, just don't – okay, take the fork." Garen huffed in mock-annoyance and relinquished his fork to Reeft, who then happily gorged on the piece. He attacked the other boy's steak with his spoon, scooped a piece, and continued eating. "Next class is cancelled, wanna go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains?"

Three identical grins broke out, but a fearful whine came from Ash. The dog nuzzled Obi-Wan's lap and placed both of his front paws between the boy's legs to keep him from going.

"Ash! What's gotten into you?" Obi-Wan stroked the canine's head soothingly, trying to discern the sudden cause of distress.

"Maybe he's afraid of water. Aren't animals with rabies afraid of water?" Ash barked at Garen then, who held his hands up in surrender instinctively. "Hey, just an observation."

Ash pulled away and laid down on the floor, his tail tucked beside him, and his blue eyes large, pleading, and a little watery. The urge to go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains wavered. The four boys made a collective sound of distress and adoration at how adorable the enormous and carnivorous canine looked. For further effect, Ash whined and covered his head with his front paws.

"Or maybe he just doesn't like water." With their meal finished, they piled their trays together for the cleaning droid to pick up. Ash was still on the floor, moping as if someone had kicked him.

"That's okay buddy, we'll go next time if you feel like it." Obi-Wan smoothed Ash's fur and tried to get him to stand up. It took a while before the dog relented, and even then, Ash was still looking up at Obi-Wan with the expression of a kicked puppy. "Are you sad that we suggested it in the first place?"

"I think he's evil. Evil, I tell you." Reeft was glaring at Ash since the dog was now the receiver of Reeft's reserved meat from friends. Ash looked very proud however. Reeft was trailing sullenly behind the three, mourning his lack of extra food.

Garen grinned at Reeft's declaration and jabbed the Dressilian's shoulder playfully. "You're a big black hole, I bet you can eat a Hutt whole and still be hungry."

Obi-Wan was about to reply, but Ash suddenly broke into a run. "Ash! Wait! Come back!"

The dog swiftly maneuvered through crowds of children, Knights, and Masters with predatory grace. Obi-Wan almost tripped, but scrambled his way through. He laughed cheerily when Ash then pounced on Bruck, who was turning to go into a hall before Ash continued his run. The white-haired boy cried out in surprise; his face turned pale in fear, and then to a deep shade of angry red when he saw Obi-Wan running after the canine, laughing at Bruck's expense.

Obi-Wan blinked when they reached the Temple's lake area. Ash paced around the side, and when he saw Obi-Wan, the dog made his way to the cove where Bant loved to wade. The dog was looking down at the surface of the water now, and Obi-Wan could feel wariness from their bond.

"Is there something here?" the boy asked, kneeling down next to the dog and touching the lake's surface. Obi-Wan then pulled his hand back in surprise when another's hand shot out and almost caught his wrist. The boy scrambled back in fear, and Ash growled in warning.

" _Come to the water, oh such fun we will have!"_ A woman's voice called out, and Obi-Wan clamped his hands around his ears. He hated that sound – it reminded him of screeching metal, and it made his teeth grind. There was a loud buzzing sound then, and metal dragging across metal, which gave the boy a nasty headache. In response, Ash walked to his side, nuzzled his neck affectionately, and then licked his face. However, Obi-Wan pulled his hands away from his ears to stop his companion from licking him.

" _Ash!_ This isn't the—" The dog licked both of his ears and Obi-Wan yelped in surprise. "Ash! You—"

Strangely enough, the horrible noise muffled away and Obi-Wan could finally hear properly again. He scrambled on his feet to head to a comm unit to call for help. There was an intruder of sorts in the lake, and she looked like she was planning to drag any unlucky passerby into the water.

"Okay, I'm going to— _Ash!"_ The dog dove into the water, and at the last minute, Obi-Wan tried to catch him. He fell in the lake with Ash, however, and Obi-Wan gasped in surprise. Water entered his mouth and burned inside his throat and lungs, with bubbles escaping as he tried to breathe for air. Still, just as quick as he fell through the water, Obi-Wan suddenly found himself lying wet on a cold stone floor. His chest heaved and he began to cough, air trying to push out the water that had entered his mouth and nostrils. With a sudden lurch, he threw up the water he had accidentally swallowed, and continued to dry heave along the floor.

When his lungs no longer burned, Obi-Wan pushed himself up to observe his surroundings.

He wasn't in the Temple, for one thing.

The hall looked endless and long, and it was made of stone with torches serving as illumination. He checked behind him and was unsure if he should be disappointed or relieved to see a wall. He looked up and made a shocked yell when he saw a hole in the ceiling that led back to the Temple's lake, though it was too high up for him to reach. He couldn't go back the way he came now.

An air of old age and familiarity was present, but Obi-Wan was sure that he had never been to this place before. What he noticed next was Ash's absence, and the feeling of a great distance within their connection.

Obi-Wan hesitated and then stepped forward, unsure if he should call Ash's name. He shivered when a cold draft passed by and he hugged himself for warmth. As he continued walking, he could feel his bond with Ash strengthening as the distance between them lessened. An icy chill blew through next, and Obi-Wan was thankful that his clothes were drying very quickly, or else he would be shivering now.

There was no way to keep track of time in this place, and it may have been sooner or later when Obi-Wan finally saw a large wooden door in the distance, with something small and black sitting on its side.

' _Is that Ash? Why does he look smaller?'_ Obi-Wan thought as he walked closer. His eyes widened in surprise when he was finally near enough to detail Ash's features. "How did you turn into a cat? When did you turn?"

Indeed, Ash was now a small black cat. His legs were short and his body looked stocky. His eyes were still a deep crystalline blue, however, and there were small blue stripes in his soft and fluffy black fur. Ash was licking the back of his paws and wiped one across his face after every few licks. When he caught sight of Obi-Wan, the canine turned feline yawned and made a small sound that sounded very endearing. Ash then ran towards his companion and rubbed his cheek, and then his whole body, against Obi-Wan's leg. Thankfully, Obi-Wan was very much dry now.

Obi-Wan knew he should question this sudden change, but he supposed that there are other pressing matters. Still, he really should try and know why how one specie of an animal turned into another and—

Ash mewled, his apprehension nearly forgotten.

"What happened to you?" The redhead bent down and stroked Ash's head and then his body in greeting, the cat purred in response. A smile quirked Obi-Wan's lips and he continued stroking Ash, delighted that the dog turned cat still enjoyed it. Suddenly, Ash mewled and held both of his paws around Obi-Wan's hands, claws slightly extended. "Do you want me to carry you?"

Ash meowed, and Obi-Wan could feel agreement coming from him, so he picked up the cat and held him to his chest closely. Ash began kneading his arm while purring in pleasure, eyes closed happily. Obi-Wan chuckled at his companion's antics and then looked up at the door, a frown now marring his face.

Did Ash lead him into a trap? Or was this a test of sorts?

"Is the woman waiting behind the door?" Ash meowed and Obi-Wan felt apprehension in the bond. He sighed. "If I go through this door, will I find a way back?"

There was agreement in the bond and Obi-Wan took a deep breath. There were no knobs or handles on the door, so he simply pushed it open, hoping that it wasn't as heavy as it looked. Thankfully, the door swung easily, and then a strange sight greeted Obi-Wan.

There was an enormous stone table standing in the center of a brightly lit room. A woman with clumpy green hair was sitting on the left side of the table and a strange creature sat on the right side. There were dishes on top of the table, with metallic lids covering their contents. There was a piece of paper on an empty chair between the two sides of the table and three empty plates in front of it. The creature across from the woman was hairless, lipless, eyeless, genderless, nostril-less, naked, grotesque, and utterly terrified Obi-Wan.

The creature's cheeks drooped on the sides and its yellowing and spiked teeth poked out of its mouth. Its hands only had three fingers, and its torso looked emaciated. Its skin was similar to a human's, and looking closely, Obi-Wan could see that it wasn't eyeless at all - rather, its eyes were in its claw-like hands.

Obi-Wan should run, try to climb up the hole that led back to the lake; he didn't want to be in a room near someone that tried to drown him. He was already taking a few steps backward but a sudden calm washed over him. It didn't feel like the Force, but Obi-Wan was glad when he felt the fear wash away.

Ash mewled and then stopped kneading; his fur rose and he scrambled away from Obi-Wan's arms, trembling along the way. Obi-Wan yelped when he felt claws dig through his tunic, and almost pulled Ash off of him entirely when the cat finally settled down on his shoulder. He looked up to see if the woman and the creature saw him, but they remained unmoving.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and approached the empty chair; he picked up the piece of paper, and then began to read.

' _Return the taken,_  
Feast upon the sinful flesh,  
Search for the hidden.  
Look upon these plates,  
three chances for you to take,  
or you are eaten.'

Obi-Wan blanched, and returned the paper with a shaking hand. The light in the room disappeared, but spotlights now appeared on top of the table and the two occupants. The boy almost stumbled back in surprise; Ash meowed and huddled around his shoulder into a smaller ball. It distracted Obi-Wan, but he stroked Ash soothingly, temporarily forgetting the claws that dug through his clothing, murmuring comforting words to the cat. The feline slowly calmed down and rubbed his cheek against Obi-Wan's in gratefulness.

There were now three pieces of paper on each empty plate in front of the chair; Obi-Wan picked up the one on the left plate first.

' _Scorned by murderer,_  
Betrayed by a dear lover,  
Fooled her to marry,  
Pushed her off the pier,  
Into the raging river,  
Death isn't the end.'

Obi-Wan kept the piece of paper in hand and retrieved the first one. He picked the one on the right plate.

' _Don't dare try fool us,_  
Terrifying surprise waits,  
If not the right plate.  
The flesh of children  
is most wondrous and tasty,  
if you dare fool us.'

"This is… a test?" Obi-Wan asked aloud, observing the rows of covered dishes. What he understood so far was that he needed to feed the woman the heart of her murderous lover, and he had three tries, or the skinless monster would eat him. He had no idea how he would be eaten, for that matter, but Obi-Wan was dreadfully sure that it would be a horrible death indeed. He took a deep breath and took the piece in the middle of the table.

' _Time dares not to move,_  
but escape is not given,  
if the heart's absent.  
Hours may pass outside,  
if you don't decide quickly  
you will never leave.'

Dread settled in the pit of the boy's stomach; he glanced between the unmoving occupants and stepped away from the table, unsure if even just a single touch on the covers would be counted as a chance.

Ash suddenly jumped off his shoulder, landing on the floor gracefully. Obi-Wan felt a mental tug from his companion, and he looked at the cat with a confused expression. Ash meowed and went over to the other side of the table, walking beneath it. Obi-Wan turned to the left, not wanting to be even an inch closer to the skinny creature, and blinked when he saw a large stone bowl mounted on a clawed stand.

Ash was looking up from the floor, ready to jump up to see the contents. "Ash, what is it?" As Obi-Wan walked closer to the bowl, he could see that water filled it to the brim. The water was still and reflective, but as Obi-Wan came nearer, the surface rippled and colors danced.

Ash ran towards Obi-Wan, then, mewling and patting Obi-Wan's leg; the boy leaned down to pick him up, and then stood in front of the bowl. It reached up to his waist and he could easily see the contents. The water was now still and it reflected both Obi-Wan and Ash perfectly. Suddenly, the surface rippled on its own accord, however, and the reflection shimmered and distorted.

In the bowl now, a woman was sitting at the edge of a dock, blonde hair tied into a bun. The river below her lapped in gentle waves and reflected hues of red and gold of the sunset. Dinghies docked along the shore and the whole place was definitely deserted.

The woman turned back and smiled, and her blue eyes glowed with love and excitement; she was the same woman sitting in the table, now waving happily. A handsome man approached her and they held each other in a tight embrace. They pulled away and then began to converse. There were tears in the woman's eyes as she spoke; her mouth formed silent words, and Obi-Wan could see pure joy in her face. However, the loving expression on the man's face began to close off, turning blank at an alarming pace. The woman seemed to sense his soured mood, and her happiness slowly became apprehension. She mouthed something unsurely, and then fear filled her eyes when her lover held her by the arms in what looked to be a bruising grip. Without any more warnings, the man threw her into the river. Bubbles floated up from where the woman fell, and then everything was still.

Obi-Wan felt frustration and sadness, frustration because he could do nothing to help, and then sadness because it had already happened. It must have been the story of the occupant, but it baffled him. The woman obviously did not return to the Force – instead, she turned into this strange creature before him now whose skin had turned grey and bloated, her hair turned to seaweed.

Obi-Wan stepped back and a loud thud almost made him jump. A small section of the wall behind the bowl opened up, and three pedestals with different weapons were placed atop it. The first pedestal held a silver rapier with sapphires soldered in the hilt; the second pedestal contained a vibroblade with diamonds encrusting the handle; and the last one had a dagger with emeralds adorning both blade and hilt.

Ash made a small sound, looking at the weaponries, and Obi-Wan felt the tug again pull at him. He obliged and approached the three weapons, making out carved letters on the wall behind them.

' _Choose wisely my dear,_  
two of these does not belong,  
only one is yours.  
They shall turn to ash,  
if you take what you don't own,  
so please be careful.'

"How do I know which one belongs to me, then?" Obi-Wan asked loudly, stroking Ash. He observed each item with a thoughtful gaze.

It would be nice if Master Yoda could impart wisdom right now.

He would love to take the first two blades, but both were far too big for him to handle. If it was a matter of choice, Obi-Wan would have taken the rapier, but if it was a matter of being wise, he would pick the dagger. With a deep sigh, he tightened his hold on Ash with one arm, and then reached for the dagger with another hand.

A spark of electricity shot through his hand, but it was not unpleasant. The weight of the blade felt right in his hand and it fit his grip perfectly. Ash mewled and nuzzled his arm, purring as he kneaded. Obi-Wan grinned at his cat, touched by the open display of affection. Obi-Wan redid his sash and placed the dagger around his waist so that it wouldn't fall. He turned back to the table and looked at both occupants, frowning.

He still needed to find a way to escape.

But how was Obi-Wan to know which plate contained the heart of the woman's murderer?

The boy stepped near the table again, trying to glare the covers on the plates away. There were twenty covered dishes in total, arranged in two rows with ten plates in each, with a large space in front of the three empty plates. Ash jumped out of his arms and into the table then, pressing an ear to the first covered platter he came across, which was on the side closest to the monster. Obi-Wan tensed, waiting for the woman and the creature to move, but neither stirred. With a burst of inspiration, Obi-Wan approached the first plate at the woman's side, pressing his ear against the cold metal.

He waited for a moment, and then moved on to the next when he heard nothing. This cycle went on for eight more plates, with Ash doing the same thing, before Obi-Wan finally heard something coming from his ninth plate. He paled when he realized the implications of a steady thumping heard behind the metallic cover. He blanched away and tried not to regurgitate his lunch, holding his breath and swallowing something bitter and sour.

Ash mewled and nudged the third plate on the row with the water bowl nearby, and then he nudged another plate on the side of the chair, just one dish away from the monster.

Obi-Wan smiled wryly and pressed his ear to the last plate on his side, contented that he heard nothing. He took a deep breath and went towards the plates closer to the flesh eater, opening the fourth to the left on his side and the third on the other side at the same time.

The boy then threw the lids away in surprise, eyes wide and bile rising up his throat. A pair of still-beating hearts pumped invisible blood through empty veins, placed atop the plates and garnished like gourmet meals. Obi-Wan could feel his fear increase as he reached for the disembodied organs with shaky hands, fighting down the urge to puke at the sensation of holding fleshy muscle throbbing steadily. He almost tripped in his haste to place the two hearts on the first two plates, his breath heavy and labored with distress.

He approached the plate he had heard the heartbeat from and removed the lid, another beating heart hidden. Obi-Wan quickly snatched the heart and almost crushed it, and then he forcefully dropped it onto the last plate.

The woman tilted her head, and then her expression turned into absolute despair. _"THESE ARE NOT HIS!"_

Obi-Wan froze in horror and shock; the triad of hearts then turned to ash, as promised, and the lids over the dishes disappeared. Beating hearts lined up the plates and suddenly, the chair on the other side screeched as its occupant stood.

"Ow!" The youngling almost threw Ash off, but he was thankful for the sudden presence of claws in his arms, as it shocked him out of his stupor and prompted him to run. He glanced around, but there were no halls to run into; he turned back, and was thankful that the door did not disappear.

Obi-Wan pulled the door open and then pulled it shut again with a loud bang. The once singular hallway was now full of halls, and the once illuminated path was now dimly lit with candles. There was a terrifying roar from the previous room; Obi-Wan ran towards the first turn, and almost slipped, and then he almost entered a dead end. He went on, glancing left and right to foresee more dead ends before turning down them. He heard the door to the tabled room open, and it increased Obi-Wan's anxiety; he mentally begged the Force for guidance. His heart beat against his chest and his lungs heaved with effort. Already, he could feel his limbs straining as he tried to run as fast as possible.

He almost whooped in joy, then, when he chanced upon a winding hall that held pathways to other halls which were lined with mirrors. Instead, Obi-Wan hugged Ash tighter, and kissed the top of the cat's forehead.

Obi-Wan's reflection mixed and exchanged with all these mirrors; in addition, there were niches that held mirrors that would create the illusion of his presence on other locations. He picked one a little close to the entrance and bundled Ash into him, glad that it would confuse the creature as to his real location. Once he settled down, Obi-Wan tried to control his labored breaths until he could barely hear them, so that they would not destroy the mirror trick.

His heart picked up its pace when he registered footsteps coming by; he tried to look as tense as possible, as seemingly unaware of the creature's presence as he could.

A pair of eyed hands was gazing around the threshold of the hall, in search of him most definitely. Obi-Wan tried not to move when he saw the creature finally step forward, saliva dripping out of its mouth and a steady growl behind its throat.

Obi-Wan's mouth parted slightly, and he quickly fought the urge to drop his jaw in surprise. In the mirror's reflection, the monster was the man he had watched in the water.

His handsome features twisted to accommodate his personality. The man had had a beautiful complexion once, blond hair that felt in curly waves that framed his face, bright green eyes, and fair skin slightly dusted with freckles. Gone, too, were the angular jaw, the cupid-bow lips, high cheekbones, and sharp nose – an ugly creature was the only thing left behind.

Obi-Wan realized that he would have gotten it all wrong regardless of what plate he chose, because the heart of the woman's murderer was never on those plates in the first place. They were still inside of the man.

' _How do I get his heart?'_ A horrible realization overcame Obi-Wan and he tried not to hyperventilate in terror. That was why he had needed the dagger _: 'I need to take his heart out myself.'_

The monstrous man continued searching, and then turned towards two halls further down from where Obi-Wan was currently hiding. The boy was infinitely glad that the reflection showed the monster's human form so that he easily managed to keep track of it.

Obi-Wan pulled the dagger held around his utility belt with one hand. Next, he let go of Ash, holding the dagger to his side in a defensive stance. The man in the reflection grinned nastily, his mouth almost splitting his face from ear to ear. He crossed both of his arms and smirked, eyes gleaming with cruel glee.

Obi-Wan kept his expression serene, but he was terrified. He tried to keep his knees from trembling, and he was a little thankful that Ash would rub his leg every now and then in a gesture of comfort.

' _Can you please turn into a dog?'_ Ash suddenly stopped and Obi-Wan almost stumbled in surprise when shock and fear bombarded him from Ash's side of the bond. _'Alright, but can you at least distract him if you can?'_

The fear receded, and Obi-Wan was infinitely glad to feel assurance at last from his shape-shifting companion. Obi-Wan tried not to distract himself with the recognition of that fact.

The man did not move as Obi-Wan continued to check the hall for the monster's presence. Obi-Wan didn't even pause when finally, he saw the creature standing still in one of the many paths, its back facing the youngling and both hands thankfully at its sides.

The youngling cleared his head and concentrated on having his dagger connect with the back of the creature. He increased his pace, but made sure that his shoes did not make a sound as he continued onwards, raising the dagger in his hands in preparation to stab. He ignored the alarmed expression on the man's face in the reflection as he stalked closer and closer to his true form. Ash was running by his side in a sideways stance, his back hunched up to look bigger.

Obi-Wan tried not to shout when his dagger finally sunk through soft flesh. Blood burst through the wound and the creature let out a piercing shriek, whirling around with an angry snarl. Obi-Wan pulled his dagger back with quick reflexes, letting the Force guide his actions as he sidestepped and then made a slashing motion with his blade once more.

The tip cut through the creature's cheek; bits of skin and flesh fell from the laceration, and the creature let out an angry growl. It swiped its claws towards Obi-Wan, but the boy wasn't quick enough to dodge, and he hit a mirror by accident. There was a loud crack, and then a hand with an eye connected with the boy's side, and the sound of a shattered mirror when Obi-Wan crashed against it was loud and surprising.

Pain burst in small pinpricks on Obi-Wan's right side, and he fell on the floor in a clumsy heap, though he still held onto his weapon. The creature heaved and blood spurted out of its mouth; some splattered on Obi-Wan's face. The creature then raised its claws and Obi-Wan rolled out of the way, shouting in pain when he felt glass embed on his side.

Suddenly, Ash leapt towards the monster's hands, hissing and spitting as he clawed at the appendages.

Obi-Wan limped, tightening his grip on the dagger, and then stabbed the creature once more. The blade easily slid through skin and flesh; there was the sound of crunching bones as Obi-Wan pushed it still deeper. The monster shrieked again, swiping with his claws blindly, in search of the boy that had failed in his task. Ash then began climbing up the monster's hands, his claws leaving deep, clean lines of wounds as he reached for the creature's shoulder.

Obi-Wan pulled the dagger away with great effort, tiptoeing and aiming upwards due to the creature's greater height. The dagger easily exited the flesh, with blood gushing out of the wound.

Ash hissed angrily and wound himself around the creature's face, scratching the skin with blood and gore-filled claws. Obi-Wan flashed gratitude through their bond, and then tripped the creature by kicking above its knees so it eventually laid face up on the ground. Still, it tried to push itself to stand with one hand while the other tried to remove the provoked feline.

Obi-Wan swallowed and straddled the creature, then; his dagger quickly fell upon its chest with strength amplified by the Force.

The monster shrieked and trashed when the dagger went through its sternum, slicing through skin and flesh and crushing bones. Obi-Wan was mouthing the Code in a mantra as he pushed the dagger lower into the creature's torso; the flesh parted easily and the skin flapped open. The image of clothing held by a zipper came to mind, but Obi-Wan focused on his task.

He needed to dig the creature's heart out.

Obi-Wan parted the flesh away; he gagged at the sight of the pulsing organs now visible. He was breathing in quick short gasps when he broke the ribcage that held the heart, some accidentally pierced through the lungs; blood entered through the internal organ. The creature wailed and struggled, trying to ward both of his attackers off, but the agony of being cut open only made him jerk and thrash.

Obi-Wan was almost thrown off after a particularly harsh jerk, but he gathered the Force around him and _pushed_ , pinning the creature on the floor with great concentration. With his free hand, he grabbed the wildly beating heart and pulled.

The connection between the heart and the tunnel path of blood had yet to part, and it left Obi-Wan holding a beating heart still connected to the body. He bit his lip and pulled harder; the heart in his hands beat wildly, and the arteries pulsed and shuddered. He raised the dagger and severed the connection with a powerful swipe.

The creature jerked with a bloodcurdling shriek and finally managed to push the youngling away.

Obi-Wan hit another mirror and screamed in pain when he felt it shatter behind his back; as a result, he ended up dropping both his weapon and prize. Ash yowled and dug his claws deeper into the creature's face. The monster thrashed and shrieked as it tried to get the cat off.

' _RUN OBI-WAN!'_ The mental command managed to shock Obi-Wan out of the pain, and he looked at Ash now with large eyes.

' _What are you waiting for? RUN!'_ Obi-Wan scrambled up and picked up the dagger and beating heart, gritting his teeth when he felt burning pain running up and down his back. He knew the cuts were superficial, but they hurt a lot.

Obi-Wan was trying to run, but his back throbbed in pain in every step. He let the Force surround him in comforting waves to ease the pain, but it did not totally disappear.

He hoped Ash would be all right.

When Obi-Wan stepped back to the main hall, he almost cried in despair to take note that the distance to the dining hall had increased.

' _If I stop, Ash and I will die,'_ he realized. With that, he pushed himself to run, his gait full of pain. He squeezed the heart and dagger in his hands, suppressing a wince when he felt the muscles beneath his palm squelch and lurch.

Was it just Obi-Wan, or was the door really getting further and further away with every step?

There was a loud shriek suddenly, and Obi-Wan glanced behind him to see the creature throw Ash against the opposite wall. The cat hit it with a loud thud and then fell on the floor; Obi-Wan froze, but managed a sigh of relief when his companion scrambled up as if unhurt, and then latched onto the monster's leg with his claws extended outwards.

The creature had deep scratches around his face, arms, and calves. The sight of his still open torso almost made Obi-Wan vomit in disgust, but the boy knew that he would end up gutted open if he stopped now.

With newfound determination, Obi-Wan continued to run, and his hopes rose when the distance to the door began to finally lessen. He picked up his speed when he could calculate that he was around twenty meters away. A rush of adrenaline flowed through him then, and Obi-Wan was momentarily numbed to the pain from his injuries.

Behind him, he could hear the monster's mean shrieking and sensed his bounding after him in mad chase, Ash spitting as he clawed further through sagging skin.

The door was closed when Obi-Wan reached it, so he pushed it open with all his might. The door hit the wall with a loud crash, but Obi-Wan was too bursting with adrenaline to notice. The boy's heart continued to hammer as he ran towards the woman, already holding the heart out for her to consume.

The dead woman turned towards him then, and a look of pure glee crossed her face. She pushed herself off of the chair and marched towards the boy; Obi-Wan almost crashed into her, but he managed to stop a foot or so away, and held out the hand holding the throbbing muscle.

The dead woman snatched the heart out of his hands; her mouth opened wide, jaw unhinging and saliva dripping down her teeth as she gazed on her prize hungrily. She stroked the beating muscle lovingly and then shoved it whole inside of her mouth.

Obi-Wan stepped back as the girl ate. He wanted to glance away, but he could only stare at her in transfixed horror as she chewed loudly, blood spurting out with each bite, dripping down her lips along with saliva.

There was a terrible shriek behind Obi-Wan and he was brought out of his trance as the monster shuddered and twitched, his skin healing and reknitting. The ugly visage melted away and the once handsome man emerged, but there was yet a gaping hole where his heart should have been. Ash let go of a healed and muscular limb, and then limped towards his friend, rubbing against the boy's leg comfortingly in the midst of these horrors.

"Mary?" the man's mouth trembled as he dropped forward and ended up kneeling, a pale hand grasping the hole in his chest as he failingly tried to staunch the bleeding.

The dead woman –Mary –swallowed, a long and sharp tongue licking the blood on her face clean. The green in her hair bled out until it turned blonde again; her grey features became healthy and flush with life once more, and light returned to her dead blue eyes. "Goodbye, James."

James twitched and dropped to the ground, dead. Mary sighed happily, but her life was already forfeited. She gurgled and water suddenly gushed out of her mouth, nose, and ears in a torrent. She dropped forward, her skin greying once more, and the light in her eyes fading – dead.

Obi-Wan felt numb, and the adrenaline finally wore off. Pain prickled his back and his side, and his knees felt like jelly. He coughed and fell to his knees, his energy sapped away and his lungs constricting with the effort of breathing. Exhaustion gnawed his bones, and Obi-Wan finally fell onto the cold floor, black spots filling his sight. He could feel Ash licking his face to wake him up, but he was just too tired to move. His clothes felt sticky, and the smell of coppery metal was making him very dizzy.

Everything hurt, and Obi-Wan just wanted to sleep.

There was a sudden change in his position as he felt a pair of arms hoist him up and hold him. He unconsciously pressed his face against the warmth of the chest of his unknown rescuer, and felt fur tickle his cheek.

"Everything is going to be alright; try not to move much while I get help," Obi-Wan heard dimly. The smell of burnt sugar and fresh grass reached his nose, and he nuzzled closer to his savior. The person holding Obi-Wan sounded like a teenager, with his voice stuck between manhood and childhood, still developing.

"—don't forget Ash, he's 'urt," the youngling managed to mumble, eyes already closed and ready to give in to unconsciousness.

The teen chuckled warmly and Obi-Wan felt the arms around him hold him tighter, protective. It was a nice feeling after all these horrors. "Ash is fine."

"Ya' sure? I'll have Maste' Yoda on ya' if he isn't… he has'ta explain why he can talk in m' head…" the redhead trailed off, sleep claiming him.

"I'm definitely sure that your little friend is fine, and he would be happily answering every question you have once you're fine."

* * *

_Running away from Knight's Keep was a horrible idea, but there had to be boundaries that Xanatos could cross. Did Fae not have pride in traversing through the in-between places?_

_The teen managed to tinker with his datapad until it worked once more, and he managed to make the GPS work. His location was in the middle of the ocean and the depth was definitely above sea level – both of which were physically impossible, or his datapad could simply be malfunctioning. Before Xanatos fixed his possession, it would freeze for an indefinite amount of time and then it would start flicking through programs at the blink of an eye. There were times that it would function at a moderate speed that signified that Xanatos had managed to find a frame in time to ground himself in non-Fae logics. Now, it was working perfectly, and it helped Xanatos greatly._

_He was back in the forest – it was called the Yawning Woods, and the name was a little appropriate, except the yawning sounded more like muffled screaming in the distance. He had no markers left behind from his first journey, and he had had to rely on both intuition and his map to get where he needed to go. He could try to search for the correct trail in the form of a dog, but losing his mind to the beastly instincts that came with such a transformation was definitely not an option._

_Another issue that came up was the necessity of learning how to manipulate the energy Fae used. It could force transformations for one –which he felt intimately in one of the most horrible ways possible –forced bonding, powerful illusions, compulsions and… defying the rules of mass and space._

_Even if he was standing as proof of those capabilities, it was still hard to believe._

_There had to be other things one could do with Fae energies, in any case._

_Xanatos paused then, gazing upon his surroundings with a contemplative frown. There was a hint of rust in the air and a subtle absence of the odor of burnt sugar and fresh grass. There was a cluster of trees before him, but one stood out._

_A splash of drying blood caked the top of the bark; red-brown splatters stained the exposed roots and earth._

" _You should destroy that; scorned Fae would acquire even a strand of hair for an irritating hex. Blood is more potent, more powerful – curses that shall befall you will be stronger if you leave even just a tiny drop."_

_Xanatos whirled around and paled. He hadn't sensed anyone coming._

_The intruding Fae had pointed ears and human-looking eyes. They were a strange mix of bright blue and stormy grey, with green markings arranged like veins around his left lid. His features were distinct, definitely masculine and subtly powerful. His hair was short and mussed; its color was a fiery shade of red that contrasted with his alabaster white skin. He was not as tall as Oberon and Gwynn were, and he rode no steed. The Fae wore a crown of budding flowers twined with thorns and poison ivy. He wore a green tunic with golden lining, a white sash with golden tassels held it tight, his trousers were held with leather bands on his calves, and his boots were dark and plain. A small sheath held a dagger strapped to his waist, emeralds embedded on the hilt._

" _Who are you?" Xanatos held himself in a defensive position and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What do you want from me?"_

_The red-haired Fae gave him a judgmental gaze, patient with hints of disappointment. "Never ask a fellow Fae questions. State what you wish but never inquire, unless you are in need of answers or trade. It is only acceptable if you are royalty."_

_Well… there had been stranger customs. "What—"_

_Xanatos caught himself and frowned; to survive, he really needed to adapt and learn. That was one of the most important fundamentals for staying alive in an unknown situation. First, he needed as much information as he could collect in order to adapt; next would be using it to his advantage to make sure no one would be able to subdue him; and then finally, he would turn the tables around and find his way back home. However, there was something not right about this situation. He was still apprehensive about it. Did he really need what this Fae would offer him?_

_The Fae cleared his throat and gave him a withering glance, reading his thoughts. "Yes you do—now, now, be thankful that I am only skimming through your surface thoughts. I am under the impression that Jedi can do the same. If you must know however, I am King Aster of the Eastern Court."_

_Blue eyes narrowed. There was something wrong here. Why the kriff would a king help him? These sorts of advice really did seem as though they would be useful in this reality, and if there was anything his short time with the Faeries had taught Xanatos, it was that everything came with a price._

" _You wouldn't be telling me those things unless you wanted something." Xanatos crossed his arms and stared back at the King's stoic expression. "You're a king, and I'm by all rights … a slave and a child; I can't possibly the only person capable of helping you."_

_On some days, Xanatos was glad that Master Jinn had managed to make him attend those diplomatic lessons at the Temple. It had definitely helped him pick up important customs once someone took the time to point them out to him._

_Aster gave him a light smirk, and then quickly changed his expression into a more neutral one. "You're right, but there are things that are unique to you that I am in dire need of. However, that is a matter for another day." The redheaded Fae let his gaze linger on Xanatos' blood staining the forest. "The ability to read minds is an ability available to select Fae. Let's say that I do not have that ability; however, blood is a good conduit for a large array of spells."_

_The brunet stepped forward with a fierce scowl; he mentally scolded himself for not having any sort of weapon. "Don't touch my blood – or me."_

" _Boy, you are in no position to make any rules." Aster's mouth twitched into a scant smile. "In another hypothetical situation, I am to erase every trace of this blood under Oath, which is very binding, might I add. These tidbits of important information and the destruction of your blood outside your body can be taken, just for a simple request."_

_Xanatos smiled coldly. "I don't suppose that I have a choice in this matter."_

" _You learn fast, good boy." The King of Spring stepped towards the tree, a clawed hand with rings of saplings and rose buds in his fingers touched the splatter of blood. "Oberon has taken fancy to great and beautiful things, as all Fae do, but he had set his sights in a particular man who has always had such exceptional endurance. That is why he has heeded comments in regards to your training as Jedi. There is a man in the game, with hair of soft earth and eyes of leaves – his pallor remains eternally pale and his hands are calloused with brush strokes. He had come from a time long forgotten; however, he wears a memento of gold on his left wrist as a reminder."_

" _You want me to… catch him?" Xanatos could feel his left eye twitch at Aster's unimpressed stare. "You do realize that you'll need to be more detailed than that. I mean, your description is nice and all, but do you have any idea how many people look like that?"_

" _I'll mark him and you just be a good dog and bite his leg and drag him to Oberon, all right?" The Faerie King pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering in an annoyed tone. "I wasted being poetic on the brat; of course he would want more than that."_

" _You do realize that the brat is here." Xanatos inched towards the Faerie King, his intent to remove the contact between his blood and the Fae. "What happened to the arrow with bits of my flesh? Didn't Gwynn take it?"_

" _Already taken care of. I'm King; I can get away with murder." Aster waved him off dismissively, but more absent-mindedly than before. "Just drag the man, preferably screaming and kicking. That turns on Oberon quite well."_

_That can't be all that the Fae wanted, but who was Xanatos to reject a well of useful information and removal of possible threats? However, it was hard to tell if Aster would keep his word. He couldn't really calculate how 'binding' these Oaths actually were. Xanatos had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time Aster would ask something of him, however. "All right, so how does one propose an Oath?"_

_Aster finally stepped away from the tree, playing with the tassels on his sash in deep thought. Then he faced towards Xanatos and straightened himself, dusting off his tunic; then, he removed his crown to mess his hair some more, and placed his crown again on his head. "I, King Aster Fyreleaf of the Eastern Court of the Seasonal Fae, son of Wesley Fyreleaf and Mera Wöden, swear upon my crown and upon my birth that I am to erase mediums of Sympathetic Magic and to provide information to the Fae before me, a hellhound and servant of the King of the Unseelie -Xanatos Demetrio, if he is to retrieve and present a man I will mark in the Wild Hunt before his King and ruler, Oberon Ėrl."_

" _ **What?"**_ _Xanatos' jaw hung agape as he could only stare back in horror at Aster. He could not take a step back to marvel at tendrils of golden light that bound the King by his word, nor had he the chance to feel the energies humming in approval of the oath. Even after the golden light had receded and the magic in the woods returned to their standstill, Xanatos could only stare at Aster, who was smirking that bastard, with shock in his expression. "Just… who the fuck are you?"_

" _Oh, did I mention removing_ everything _that may tie in to your Sympathetic Magic? I believe it was your blood and something rather intimate." The teenager was still in his surprised stupor. "Unseelie tend to be on the brutal side, so most of them deal in absolute equivalents or something like eye for eye sorts of trade. Oberon isn't as bad as you think, and he doesn't usually sleep with his wife since he prefers fucking a hobgoblin he has taken a fancy to ages ago. What else… Oh! I suppose you wouldn't find anything else useful."_

_Xanatos took a deep breath and gave Aster a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You don't say? What about I ask for things that I would actually find useful like… any sort of weakness I could exploit, like metals I can use to ward someone I find dangerous away." He clenched and unclenched his fists. "Though not that, what I would really like to know is…_ How the kriff did you fucking know my name? _No wait, scratch that, were you that old fart that tried to help me before I got my ass caught by fucking Oberon?"_

" _No," was the toneless reply. "It was a friend of mine. He owed me a favor, so I used it." Aster brightened and walked towards the bloodstained tree once more. "If you're looking for metals… Gold wards the headless ones away, silver and cold iron is feared by many – wailing spirits, skin shifters, little men with red caps, trolls—"_

"— _there are Fairie trolls?"_

"— _little men with pig-like faces, goblins of all sorts, and it drives away a lot of the water horses. You would feel a consuming fear of running water and it is also effective against dullahan and some pixies as well. Also there are many courts in existence, I am the King of one of the Four Seasonal Courts and they have—"_

"— _the four seasons, yes, I get it."_

" _You have yet to meet Summer, Autumn and Winter's King. Oberon and Gwynn are of the Light and Dark Courts, Seelie and Unseelie," Aster paused and smiled with no mirth. "I suppose it's a matter of perspective as to whom would you be better off with, Gwynn or Oberon."_

_Xanatos was silent for a moment with his face carefully blank; however, inside, he was a tumult of conflicting emotions behind his mask of indifference - fear was the most prominent, indignant anger next, and then total bewilderment. Oh how he wished this was all just a dream._

" _I upheld my half of the deal; I suggest you do yours, then." Aster turned and walked away, his form shimmered out of sight._

_Drained and angry, Xanatos punched the tree nearest to him._

* * *

_Xanatos kept his eyes straight ahead; he didn't want to give Aster and Gwynn, who were conversing and would shoot him amused glances now and then, the entertainment of seeing him squirm. The Faeling was wearing loose clothing from the wardrobe Oberon had provided him, that and one of the many elegant collars._

_A blue and silver band clasped snugly around his neck, with azure embroidery and sapphires studded in the well-maintained leather. Xanatos stifled the urge to tear it off and stomp on it like a sullen child._

_There was another Fae riding a steed with them. He had short snow-white hair that framed his face in curls, icy blue irises with contrasting white snowflake patterns, and pale skin with stark black veins visible against it. He wore a crystalline circlet; diamonds dangled on the frame, lying on his hair and tinkling whenever he moved. He wore a blindingly white fur-lined cloak over a sky-blue tunic with silver and sapphire embroideries of frost patterns. He looked very young and more like a mischievous teenager, looking out of place in a party of men, but Xanatos has a feeling his boyish appearance was simply a mask for his real age._

_He must be the Winter King then; though really, he seemed more prince than king._

" _Jokül, this was the snooping dog we caught yesterday, isn't he a precious little thing?" Gwynn guided his horse right next to Xanatos and the teen received a mocking pat. The Faeling scowled at the dark-skinned man, glaring hatefully. Gwynn smiled easily and then leant forward on his mare, whispering._

_Jokül, who had been looking at a poking one of his hounds with the sheath of his sword, glanced up with a cheery smile. "Ah, young blood and Jidai to boot. I believe that he has made contact with a particular mischievous friend of ours, right Aster?"_

_Aster chuckled and guided his steed until he was side by side with Jokül. "I did say that, didn't I?" He leant forward and gave Jokül a deep kiss that involved a lot of tongue. When they pulled away, the Winter King laughed delightedly._

" _Oh, how fun this will be!"_

_That gave Xanatos clue as to whose mad laughter he had been hearing before he was captured. Oh, Force, this King sounded insane._

" _Once Huginn flies overhead and the horns had blown, we will ride the storms and begin the hunt." Oberon cleared his throat, placed a firm hand on top of an annoyed Padawan's head, and then smoothed Xanatos' hair. Even in his human form, Xanatos received treatment better fitted to a trailing canine. "Ash, I have not turned you into a hound yet, but you will shift once we begin."_

_The boy simply gave the Dark King a mirthless quirk of the lips. He winced and caught Aster's eye. The King of Spring winked and then changed his expression into something more serious._

_Xanatos had no idea when the Hunt would begin; then the next thing he knew was burning pain. Bones rearranged and muscles shifted; the world became a vivid picture of colors and smells. Everything was larger and higher, and urges seemed to have consumed his mind._

_The human part of his mind was reeling from shocked embarrassment when the urge to lick his own extremities became strong, but Xanatos fought against the nature of the beast. Obedience and loyalty to Oberon tried to hammer against rebellion and desire to escape, but there was something foreign pushing past these conflicting sides of Xanatos –the desire to keep a promise._

_It was by a great effort that Xanatos finally managed to come to his senses. Human intelligence and freewill stomped down on sickening submission and devotion. It was not without its casualties, however. A pounding headache and the siren's song of the wild called, and the impulse to defer and do what he was told like a good dog was just a breath away. He had beaten these animal compulsions with all of his being up to now, but he could not fully push them away if he was to continue this hunt as a hound and perform his part of the deal with Aster. He stood at a crossroads between human and Fae._

'I have kept tabs on the man we need to capture. We are close, and I'll mark him as soon as I can.'

'Get out of my head,' _Xanatos paused._ 'Do I want to know _why_ you kept tabs on him? Why didn't Oberon catch him anyways if he's so great?'

'I'm part of the reason why. I've been reserving him for a long time now in case I needed something from him.'

_Aster rode by Oberon's side; one hand held a sword and the other held the reins to his equine companion. The redhead whistled and his pack began barking excitedly. Oberon's pack – no, Xanatos refused to be a part of that pack—barked in reply, bloodthirsty and eager to please. Xanatos recoiled instantly, tucking his tail between his legs instinctively and whining in protest. Everything was louder in this form - barks mingled with the speech of the hounds, and it almost deafened him. It was a cacophony of the Song of the Wild and the speech of pack mates. Ahead, Aster and Oberon were already giving out instructions, and there was stomping of hooves on the rich earth._

" _-Ash! Listen!" Xanatos blinked and looked up at Oberon, repressing a snarl. "Cerberus, lead! The hunt begins!"_

_The horses neighed and Jokül laughed to the heavens and then nudged his horse into a run; his hounds – all like small wolves with coats that ranged from pure white to silvery gray to black—trailed after him as they howled. Gwynn chuckled and followed the boyish King with a blow of his horn; his pack bounded along the earth with excited barks. A trail of frost and snow followed the boy King._

_Xanatos stepped forward, but he was still getting used to these new muscles and sudden change of position. Slowly, he put one paw in front of another, testing his balance with careful observation. It was a lot like crawling, but the urge to stand on his hind legs was stronger than going on all-fours. How uncivilized and undignified._

_He continued to test out walking and realized that for as long as he mentally pictured himself as a bipedal creature, he wouldn't be able to coordinate his canine form. Relinquishing a part of his control to the animalistic urges, Xanatos was nearly overwhelmed by the pounding of war drums and nature's design. He shook his head and attempted to separate each aspect of his newfound canine instincts so that he could yet remain in control. Another step forward, and he was satisfied to note that there was better balance in walking now._

_The Padawan's ears twitched when Oberon whistled, bellowed a great battle cry, and began leading his pack into Yawning Woods. Aster followed swiftly, and Xanatos would have laughed at the sight under any other circumstance. For every step the redhead's horse and pack made, flowers and sapling would sprout from the earth. Unlike Gwynn and Oberon, it seemed that Seasonal Fae left traces of their elements behind._

_In the distance, Xanatos could hear footsteps scrambling along the earth, trying to get further away from the hunting parties. Oberon whistled again and the pack charged forward, with their King not far behind. Xanatos trailed after them, trying to find a glimpse or two of Aster. There were a few strains in his hind and front muscles, but Xanatos was improving his gait as he ran towards the Dark King._

_The woods began to move; the earth shifted and carried the trees with them. Paths rearranged themselves, and the terrain changed to accommodate the Wild Hunters. The sky was blindingly white, and Xanatos thought he saw something peculiar high up in the clouds. He blinked again and almost tripped in surprise to see Jokül riding the clouds, laughing in maddened glee, his wolf dogs bounding across the skies. Snow fell in their path and plant life died upon their touch, frost creeping up the wood as ice coated the land._

_Oberon made a sharp turn and Xanatos almost hit a tree in his pursuit. The path the King took was slowly converging with another path, the path Aster created._

_The party reached a clearing and Xanatos could see all the other games he had run with before his capture. Aster cried and raised his hand towards the people stuck in the in-between spaces, sparks of green flying away from his hand and hitting a random person._

_Or not so random after all._

_There was an insistent tug to Xanatos' core, a strong urge to bite the leg of the man marked by the Eastern King. He looked up and was surprised to see that Oberon didn't seem to notice what Aster did; his sword held out, he looked very ready to stab the first person he could reach._

_The marked man Xanatos was supposed to follow definitely looked like he came from a time without the galaxy's standard fashion. His clothes looked as plain as his features, but who was he to say that Oberon could not see something extraordinary about the man?_

_His target separated from the group, taking a small path and his frantic running was slowing down. Perhaps he thought he was safe._

_The Padawan slowed down as well, and Oberon and Aster disappeared into another part of the woods in mad chase of other game. Xanatos padded silently to where the man hid, nose on the earth as he followed the trail._

_The man was lying down on the ground, his back to a tree and a hand clutched around his stomach, eyes closed in silent agony. His white shirt was stained with blood where he held his torso._

_If Xanatos could strangle Aster, he would have right now._ 'Maybe if he mentioned that the kriffing bastard had a gaping hole in his stomach… that would have been wonderful.'

_Xanatos approached tentatively, planning to keep the man still instead of dragging him away. However, that plan bit the dust when he stepped on a branch by accident and the man's eyes shot open with fear. He scrambled up to begin running, but Xanatos was faster._

_Sharp teeth found thin cotton around a leg, and Xanatos growled low in his throat warningly when the man tried prying his mouth off, and then when he tried slapping the wolf-dog's face away._

'Stop moving!' _Unconsciously, he sent that thought through the Force and he was almost surprised when he felt his mind brush against that of his target's. He thought that in this new world, he would have lost total connection to the Force. How glad he was that he was wrong in that assumption._

_The man's mind was strong and brushed off the simple trick, but it was with great effort, shouting and struggling against Xanatos' hold. Xanatos pushed both of his paws against the earth for leverage and then started moving backwards, dragging the unfortunate man out to the clearing._

_The teen tried not to wince when the blood reached his palate and sense of smell; it sparked beastly urges to chew and gnaw the flesh off. He almost let go in his revulsion and disgust, and the man took that as his chance and kicked him away. His teeth lost hold for a second and his target started scrambling up to run, but Xanatos found purchase on his other leg, and the man quickly fell into an undignified heap on the ground._

_It was easier to drag the man away this time, and Xanatos soon found himself in the clearing. He could hear hooves on the ground and he was about to look behind him to see if Oberon was there._

_A sword flashed into existence, and the man's head severed from its body, rolling away along the ground and stopping facedown. Blood splattered Xanatos' fur and he whined in surprise. He stepped back in shock when the separated head started shouting for help. The body pushed its arms forward on either side, trying to stand up. Blood gushed down from the stump, and Xanatos blanched in disgust when a broken piece of spine fell off._

_The Jedi looked behind him to see Oberon already wiping his sword clean. The pack members had various body parts in their teeth that must have been a person once, and they were all chewing on them contentedly. One of the dogs approached Xanatos and dropped a liver in front of him as an offering. Xanatos whined and stepped back, declining the internal organ. The other dog nudged the liver with his nose again in offering, looking up at Xanatos with pleading and large brown eyes._

_The instinctive reaction to consume the offered flesh was strong, but Xanatos silenced it mentally and turned away._

" _That's your sustenance Ash; I suggest you eat fast if you have no plans on going hungry for the rest of the Hunt." Oberon dismounted and walked towards the headless body, grabbing it by the shoulder, guided towards the head shouting curses; eventually, he even helped the decapitated man pick his own head up. Oberon glared at the cursing head in annoyance and placed one hand over the mouth; tendrils of black appeared between his fingers and sunk onto the skin. The mass of darkness was now tight stitches in the game's mouth._

" _A dullahan again?" Aster's voice called out from the other side of the clearing, a twi'lek and a human were lying face down on the back of his horse, unconscious. There were splatters of blood across his face and there was a smear around his lips that suggested that he had licked the blood off. His gaze lingered on Xanatos and the boy growled low, but the King simply winked and met Oberon's gaze with a mirthful expression._

" _Ash, eat your share. Human food will not sustain you and you will go hungry in this hunt later on. I would rather not have a useless mutt trailing after me." The Unseelie Faerie began undressing the beheaded man, inspecting the large gash across the stomach. "You have evaded me and death time and again, just because a dear friend thought it would be entertaining to keep you away from me so that he could garner a favor."_

_The man muffled gibberish angrily._

" _That favor is to accept what Gwynn is proposing next, by the way."_

" _Now, I believe it to be fitting for you to ride across the roads as a dullahan, a Fae of my court. Cerberus would be escorting you to your new home and your chariot and horse will be provided on the fortnight. I fare you well." Cerberus did as was commanded, growling threateningly at the newly changed Fae. The face_ paled _and the body followed the dog obediently._

" _Ash…" Xanatos snorted and refused the liver, the possibility of it coming from someone sentient did not escape him. The King simply sighed in annoyance and rode off to continue the hunt, his pack following close behind. Aster remained, very much the picture of laziness._

" _Look little boy, eat the meat and move on, we can't give you our food since you're a dog. Eat dog food." Aster looked behind and whistled. His pack appeared from the trees with bloodstained snouts, some still had pieces of gore clinging to their fur. "You'll die of starvation if you don't eat Faerie food or human flesh, depending on how long you go on. Eat; you're hardly human now to worry about that."_

_Xanatos shook his head and sat on his hind legs, looking to the side with his nose turned up with dignity. Even if his palate longed for a taste of raw flesh, he would rather starve to death._

_Aster sighed. "Here I thought you'd want to survive. Don't you want to see Qui-Gon again?"_

_Xanatos snarled in reply, glaring at the King hatefully. The King was hiding something, and Xanatos won't push the possibility away that it was Aster that lured him here. In fact, the more the redhead talked, the more apparent it became that he was responsible for Xanatos' predicament._

" _All in good time, little one. Even as immortal Fae, we still starve and need sustenance. It's either buying food in the Goblin market or eat the flesh of a sentient mortal. You will not survive holding on to your humanity; you would need to adapt our customs if you want to live." Aster inspected his nails with mock interest. "Or I could force you to eat that, I still have some of your blood, just so you know, Xa—"_

_Xanatos barked angrily and Aster almost jumped in surprise; the teen huffed a breath, approached the viscera, and sniffed it with an annoyed air. A pang of hunger jolted through Xanatos' gut and he whined when he almost took a bite._

" _That's a good boy, come on." Aster clicked his tongue soothingly with a smile. "Come on, you're hungry. Eat."_

_The teen wiped a paw across his jaw and bent down again, feeling a growing hunger. He took a deep breath and licked the liver, shuddering at the impulse to eat it fast and whole. Perhaps that was a good approach, instead of going through it slowly; he would have to endure human flesh inside his mouth longer if he doesn't eat it quickly enough. Xanatos pushed the liver with his nose and began eating._

_Flavor burst across his tongue on every bite, the texture of the organ was rich, and there was a salty sweet aftertaste that lingered on his tongue whenever he swallowed. The liver tore easily against his canine teeth, and he tried not to enjoy how chewy it was. It felt like an eternity before he finally finished, and he was deeply disturbed by the sense of fullness it left in his stomach._

_A hand ruffled his head then, and Xanatos almost bit Aster's hand off._

_The King simply smiled easily, looking a lot like a satisfied house cat. "I remember promising that I would destroy all traces of Sympathetic Magic in you, that and providing information, didn't I?"_

_Xanatos huffed and tried to give him a blank look._

" _Ah, I remember I did. Oberon has a lot of court mages and sorcerers. There's one sorcerer in particular who has a collection of grimoires of interest that goes by the name of Emyrs . I suggest 'The Siren's Song', 'The Mortal Clock', 'The People of the Lands', 'The Magic of the Body' and 'To Walk the In-Between Places'. That's very useful information by the way." Aster looked up and waved with a cheery expression. He waited a few moments before turning back to Xanatos. "To make a cloak of shadows: enchant a cloak made of spider silk. Boil the eyes of a hobgoblin, skin of a selkie, wings of a sylph, and the heart of a boggart in a cauldron along with the cloak. It'll simply mask you, but it won't offer protection against wards."_

_Xanatos knew Aster could read his mind, so he thought, '_ I don't see how these things could help me at all.'

" _This won't be the first and last time I'd ask something of you without having anything you can use to benefit yourself. Didn't you want to be human or something?"_

_Xanatos narrowed his eyes and growled and the King held his hands up placating. "I'll tell you later once you change stations. Now… I believe the destruction of spilt blood comes next…" The Eastern King snapped his fingers and a halo of blood formed in front of him. With another snap, they burnt away to nothing. "All traces of Sympathetic Magic, right?"_

_Aster smiled and a sense of unease filled Xanatos. A feeling of foolishness came upon him; he never did register these people as dangerous, but looking at the gleam in Aster's eyes made him rethink his opinion. The way Aster acted, it must have blinded Xanatos to how dangerous the man was – it definitely hid what the Faerie King was truly capable of as a person._

" _We Fae rarely give our True Names. Those who carry great power can share it without always having to worry about usurpers or any other Fae who wish to trade with malicious intent. It's rarely given away to avoid getting bound into an Oath; however, one can still be bound to Oaths if they owe a fellow Fae a favor."_

_Xanatos began backing away in fear. He didn't like where this was going at all. He was about to turn into a run when vines snatched his limbs and held him still. He howled in protest and tried scratching off the plants with his paws and then chewing it off. It didn't work as well as he had thought it would._

" _Had you been around longer, you would have considered yourself lucky for receiving such honor," Aster paused in deep thought. "On the other hand, I still need pieces of leverage to use so you may do as I bid. I won't hide that from you, little one."_

_A strange pressure began to poke inside his head. Invisible claws raked through his thoughts and Xanatos gathered the Force around him instinctively to use as a shield. The mental intruder broke through the forts with ease and continued in its search, moving through memories and plucking at bits and pieces. The teen gathered the Force again and tried pushing the intruding presence away, but his efforts were stomped down easily enough. His exertion annoyed the trespasser, however, and many of his memories were torn off with such great force that it left the Padawan's head pounding in pain. Pinpricks of fire went off across inside his head, but his howls were muffled by Aster's binds._

" _I suppose you have no use for your name, but I'm sure as Hell that I can still use it."_

**Author's Note:**

> Obi-Wan's hair totally has significance. Xan's hair color too!


End file.
